By Jarrah Kawusu-Konte
This Saturday, April 19th would mark both the pre-launch of The Friends of Dr Ibrahim Bangura and the stirring of a movement on a surge of hope. It would be a reckoning with the past, and a fearless step into the future. As the All People’s Congress (APC) prepares to heal and rise stronger, more united, and more focused to build than ever before, all eyes are on one man whose record, reputation, and roots embody the very soul of the party—Dr. Ibrahim Bangura.
This is no ordinary political moment. This is a defining one. In the past few years, the APC has endured internal turbulence, wounded relationships, and a nation hungering for decisive, unifying leadership. But from within the chaos emerged a consistent voice of calm, integrity, and vision. Dr. Bangura has long served not from the podium, but from the trenches, mediating party disputes, organizing national delegates’ conferences, chairing critical committees, and, when the headquarters lay in disrepair after political violence, personally funding its renovation. These are not tales of ambition; they are testaments of loyalty, of service, of leadership without fanfare.
This is the same man who was entrusted with moderating the 2022 convention’s voting process, an exercise that could have torn the party apart, yet was preserved by his neutrality and unmatched credibility. In a political landscape where trust is scarce, Dr. Bangura has earned it across every layer of the APC: elders, youth, disgruntled members, and grassroots organizers alike.
But his story is not confined within party walls.
Professionally, Dr. Ibrahim Bangura is a titan. A scholar and a practitioner, with over 30 publications on peace, governance, and security. He consults for the African Union, ECOWAS, and the European Union, shaping continental strategies on stability and integration. His international relations capital is unmatched among the contenders. When he speaks in Addis Ababa, Brussels, or Abuja, the room listens, not because of title, but because of substance.
And yet, he remains grounded in the aspirations of ordinary Sierra Leoneans. He knows that defeating the SLPP cannot be achieved with slogans and division. It requires a unifier. A rebuilder. A man of both policy and people. Dr. Bangura stands out both for what he has done and for how he has done it: with grace, fairness, competence, and an unshakable belief in the future of Sierra Leone.
And when Dr. Ibrahim Bangura hits Fourah Bay this Saturday, it will BOOM and RUMBLE! It will not be politics as usual. It will be a statement. A hypersonic wave across the wards and constituencies that says, with absolute clarity: the lead aspirant is here. The bar has been raised. The game has changed.
Saturday’s pre-launch event will take place at the iconic Fourah Bay Field, covering constituencies 121, 122, 123, and 124. These include Fourah Bay, Kanikah, Moa Wharf, Kossoh Town/Crojimmy, Mabela, Guard Street, Dove Cot, Fire Burn, and Central One. These are not just ordinary communities, they are symbolic strongholds of APC’s base and Sierra Leone’s political soul. The choice of location is a masterstroke: strategic, symbolic, and significant. It reflects Dr. Bangura’s deep connection to the grassroots and his keen political savvy. He understands that real power is not imposed from above; it is earned from below, from the people.
Saturday would be a call to conscience. It is going to be a moment to embrace a new kind of leadership, one that doesn’t cling to the past, but learns from it. One that doesn’t weaponize difference, but celebrates unity. One that doesn’t just promise victory at the polls, but healing in our politics and progress in our nation.
As delegates, party stalwarts, youth leaders, and citizens gather on Saturday, let the message be clear: the APC is ready for rebirth. And Dr. Ibrahim Bangura is the midwife of that renaissance.
We invite you all to come and be witnesses to the breaking of a new dawn that carries the banner of hope:
Heal. Unite. Build. — HUB
