By Editor-in-Chief, Newsweek Africa
In the dusty streets of Freetown’s East End, the farmlands of Moyamba, the motorbike pits of Kono, and the posh salons of Bo, one name echoes louder than the rest: Sheikh Alhaji Mohamed Omodu Kamara, affectionately and now nationally known as Jagaban.
Once a nickname, Jagaban has transformed into a cultural currency, a linguistic shorthand for power, quality, wealth, and dominance in nearly every corner of Sierra Leone. As the race heats up for the APC’s 2028 Presidential ticket, that cultural capital might just become political gold.
From Slang to Symbolism
Across Sierra Leone, “Jagaban” is no longer just a name—it’s a symbol.
In Makeni, shopkeepers sell the “Jagaban Combo,” the most expensive bundle of premium goods.
In Port Loko, the best rice farmer is crowned the “Jagaban of Agriculture.”
In Kenema, the top-performing student in science is hailed as the “Jagaban of Physics.”
Even in the troubled alleys of Kush-crippled neighborhoods, “Jagaban Kush” has emerged as street lingo for potency and dominance.
Not since Siaka Stevens has an APC figure achieved such grassroots brand penetration, especially without yet holding the party’s topmost office.
The Trump Parallel—But Make It Sierra Leonean
When you sit with Mohamed Omodu Kamara, you don’t just hear a politician, you feel a pulse. He listens. He echoes. He amplifies. His speeches, often in a fiery mix of Krio, Mende, and Temne, do more than inform, they affirm.
It brings to mind the populist rise of Donald Trump in 2016, who channeled frustration into political momentum. But here’s the distinction: Jagaban doesn’t just play the outsider card, he fuses elite competence with grassroots swagger.
This makes him palatable to both the APC’s aristocracy and its base: hustlers, farmers, traders, youths, women, and the disenfranchised.
What This Means for the Other Aspirants
Let’s be clear, the APC flagbearer race is still wide open. But the tides are shifting. And in political strategy rooms, so is the mood.
Dr. Samura Kamara, a respected veteran, commands history, but increasingly sounds like yesterday’s promise in a party desperate for tomorrow’s voice.
Joseph Fitzgerald Kamara (JFK) has boardroom brilliance, but lacks the street touch.
Unity candidates talk peace, but struggle to sell it in a fractured party still licking its wounds.
Jagaban’s rise forces a rethinking of strategy, messaging, and relevance. The question isn’t “Who can win?”, it’s “Who truly connects?”
A Party at the Crossroads
The APC now stands at a pivotal decision point. It must choose between:
1. Doubling down on seniority and tradition, hoping institutional weight outweighs public sentiment.
2. Betting on Jagaban, an unfiltered, populist juggernaut, whose campaign writes itself daily in the chants, posts, and voices of ordinary Sierra Leoneans.
For a party desperate to reinvent itself and defeat a deeply entrenched SLPP in 2028, Jagaban may no longer be just a contender, he is the narrative.
Conclusion
Whether the APC elite likes it or not, the people may have already made their choice, not just in votes, but in metaphor. And in Sierra Leone, metaphors are power. They shape how we see leadership. They create momentum. And sometimes, just sometimes, they crown kings.