“POWER CHANGES HANDS”: SPEAKER THOMAS WARNS LAWMAKERS AS HE DECLARES APC WILL RETURN TO GOVERNMENT
“APC Will Certainly Return to Power,” Speaker Thomas Tells Parliament
By David K.Fengai
Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Segepoh Solomon Thomas, has delivered a politically significant message to lawmakers, declaring that the All People’s Congress (APC) will certainly return to power while urging Parliament to approach constitutional reforms with principles that will stand the test of time.
Speaking during the ongoing parliamentary debate on proposed constitutional amendments, Speaker Thomas cautioned Members of Parliament against crafting laws based solely on the assumption that the political party currently in government will remain in power indefinitely.
He stressed that political authority is temporary and that legislation should be designed to protect the interests of the country and its citizens regardless of which party controls the government.
The Speaker particularly emphasised the importance of the presidency, stating that the office of the President should remain a powerful and constitutionally significant institution within the Republic.
He encouraged lawmakers to imagine themselves sitting on the opposition benches or serving under a different administration when considering the proposed amendments. According to him, MPs should not support or reject provisions merely because of the current political circumstances.
Speaker Thomas further declared that the APC would return to power, while acknowledging that political circumstances can change and that the Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) could also find itself outside government in the future.
The constitutional amendment debate has generated intense political discussion between SLPP and APC lawmakers, particularly over the proposed presidential election threshold, the composition and appointment process of the Search and Nominations Committee, and the proposed introduction of a Proportional Representation electoral system.
The proposed reforms also cover elections, governance, political parties, security institutions, and other democratic processes. Among the provisions under consideration are a 30 per cent quota for women nominees, fixed election dates, and opportunities for independent presidential candidates.
While SLPP lawmakers have largely presented the reforms as measures aimed at strengthening democratic governance, APC MPs have demanded broader consultations, deeper scrutiny, and careful consideration of the potential long-term consequences.
Speaker Thomas’s intervention has consequently added a powerful political dimension to the debate, reminding Parliament that laws made today may ultimately govern those who make them tomorrow—and that in a democracy, power is never permanently owned by one political party.
