Freetown, Sierra Leone – November 21, 2025
The Political Parties Regulation Commission (PPRC) has firmly upheld its decision to levy a fine against the main opposition All People’s Congress (APC), reinforcing its stance against inflammatory political rhetoric. The sanction was imposed for a clear breach of Section 39(1) of the Political Parties Act No. 25 of 2022, a clause designed to prohibit any conduct with the potential to incite violence or destabilize public order. In a comprehensive rebuttal to the APC’s formal objections, the Commission invoked its powers under Section 39(2)(a), which authorizes financial penalties once a violation is substantiated, and underscored its constitutional and legal duty to operate as an independent regulatory body.
The origins of this disciplinary action trace back to a high-level dialogue convened by the PPRC on November 11, 2025, which brought together leadership figures from both the ruling Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) and the APC. That meeting was specifically organized to address a disturbing and escalating trend of incendiary remarks made by party affiliates across various media platforms, including radio talk shows, social media, and public broadcasts. The Commission judged these statements to be of a nature that could seriously undermine the nation’s fragile peace, particularly amidst the current climate of heightened political tension. In a commitment to de-escalation, both parties affixed their signatures to a joint agreement pledging restraint at the conclusion of the session. Despite this public commitment, the PPRC determined that subsequent actions warranted a formal warning accompanied by a financial penalty against the APC, a fine reported in past similar instances to be approximately NLe120,000, or about $5,500 USD.
Challenging the sanction, the APC publicly demanded that the PPRC provide “verified evidence” pinpointing the specific violations committed by its members. In its decisive response, the Commission clarified the legal framework, stating that Section 39 of the Act places the burden of proof upon the PPRC itself during its investigative and regulatory proceedings, and does not obligate the body to disclose all its evidence to the accused party during this phase. The PPRC affirmed it had fully complied with the graduated response protocol outlined in Sections 39(2)(a–d) of the Act, which permits a spectrum of actions from initial warnings and fines to the suspension of party activities and, in the most severe scenarios, deregistration.
The APC has now been given a strict 14-day deadline, expiring on December 2, 2025, to settle the imposed fine. The PPRC has issued a clear warning that failure to comply will trigger an escalation of measures under the Act, which could potentially include restrictions on the party’s operational functions. This latest intervention by the Commission highlights the growing unease over the tone of political discourse in Sierra Leone, a nation still navigating the deep scars of a brutal civil war from 1991 to 2002 and recent post-election disputes following the 2023 polls, which have seen recurrent clashes between supporters of the two main parties. This is not the APC’s first encounter with such a penalty; in 2023, the party was fined a similar amount for public insults directed at President Julius Maada Bio and the First Lady.
The legal backdrop for this strengthened regulatory action is the 2022 Political Parties Act, which notably transformed the PPRC from a Registration to a Regulation Commission, significantly broadening its mandate to enforce codes of conduct, foster inter-party dialogue, and actively prevent hate speech and tribal incitement. While critics, including some within the APC, have repeatedly accused the Commission of exhibiting bias in favor of the ruling SLPP, the PPRC maintains that its actions are strictly impartial and rooted in its duties under the 1991 Constitution. Political analysts observe that the heated rhetoric has intensified throughout 2025, fueled by contentious debates over electoral reforms, severe economic hardships, and internal party disputes, such as the ongoing PPRC hearings into complaints filed by former Vice President Alhaji Sam-Sumana against the APC. Observers are warning that without a check on this inflammatory language, Sierra Leone’s hard-won democratic progress could be derailed, a particularly grave risk with critical local and national elections approaching in 2028. The PPRC concluded its statements by reiterating its foundational mission, affirming, “We remain committed to the rule of law and ensuring all parties contribute to a peaceful Sierra Leone.”