DATED: 26TH. JULY 2025
NATIONAL MISSION: Building Bridges, and Rebirth of Prosperity
COMRADES ALL, MEMBERS OF THE FOURTH ESTATE, LADIES, AND GENTLEMEN,
Thank you all for witnessing this momentous day, a day that defines a fresh path, a new posture for the change we so deeply desire for our beloved Sierra Leone. I am especially grateful to the organisers of this event for honouring me with such prestigious recognition, I am truly humbled.
I am Bai Mahmoud Bangura. Some know me as NYL Sec Gen, Prezo, NOS, and most popularly, BMB. These names reflect different chapters in my leadership journey that began over two decades ago. It’s a journey defined by steady commitment, dedicated service, and a relentless pursuit of transforming lives.
It is with such humility that I want to confirm to all that I have officially resigned from the position of National Organising Secretary of the APC Party in accordance with the party’s 2022 Constitution to take the most strategic step in my political and leadership journey.
A journey that has been moulded by true mentorship and strategic guidance, entrenched with selfdiscipline rooted in my royal background, a heritage that has instilled in me the principles of honesty, sincerity, and empathy, that constitute the very essence of a born leader and the foundation of my philosophy. “Our Party’s Renewal, Our Nation’s Cry”.
It is a journey defined by commitment, dedicated service, and a relentless pursuit of transforming lives with tolerance and patriotism. My service track has been about honouring every individual, respecting the wisdom of our elders, and uplifting the boundless potential of our youth. On this tract, I have strived to strengthen the weak, empower the disabled, and champion the cause of our women and young people, inspiring their confidence to take their rightful place at the forefront of societal development.It is a journey that has featured a variety of opportunities, exposure, and learning experiences punctuated by challenges, trials, and struggles that have collectively shaped my personality. I owe an immense debt of gratitude to the greatest benefactors of our party, the Founding Fathers of the APC, who built a party that genuinely believes in ordinary man and woman in our country.
I am grateful to the members and the entire leadership of the APC Party, from the Ward levels up to the National Executive Committee. I wish to particularly thank my mentors, our National Chairman, Hon. Alhaji Minkailu Mansaray, who is currently out of the jurisdiction as well as the Deputy, and current Acting National Chairman, Amb. Alhaji Osman Foday Yansaneh. I sincerely appreciate your guidance, mentorship, and the opportunities to serve this great Party to the rank of National Organising Secretary and Acting National Chairman.
Most importantly, I want to express my profound thanks and appreciation to the former President Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma for his unchangeable belief in the power of young people.
Just a few days ago, I read a book on his remarkable legacy, underscoring the truth: What greater legacy is there than changing the life of a village boy who stumble from being a barber, a photographer, a salesman, and then to rise and graduate to become the next President of the Republic of Sierra Leone, that is a legacy worth celebrating!
Distinguished Comrades,
My next step is directed towards the leadership of the APC Party and subsequently the Presidency of the Republic of Sierra Leone.
It is apparent that our party desperately needs renewed leadership, one that adheres to its ideals and philosophy, with an impeccable record of undiluted loyalty and service. A leadership that believes that election results and outcomes must be determined by the people through their ballots and not by any roundtable discussions.
Similarly, our nation is crying out for empathetic leadership, one with a zeal that builds and maintains bridges to strengthen national cohesion and ignite economic renaissance for the rebirth of prosperity, freedom, and justice.
I can see the unmasked etchings of poverty, starvation, and hardship on the faces of our people. I know that you have endured humiliation, intimidation, and the smearing pain of democratic backsliding. The fervent desire for a united, tolerant, and cohesive nation is aggressively alarming. I feel the same pain because I am one of you.
The great Dr. Siaka Stevens once said, “Vigilance is the price we should pay for our liberty”, However, we remained complacent and, in some instances, failed to be vigilant, instead we succumbed to the yardsticks of terror and intimidation. Now, we have been humiliated for the furtherance of democracy and the survival of our unity, freedom, and justice. Which is not the price we should pay for our liberty.
We have been maligned and discriminated against, even when we deserve better as citizens of this nation. That is also not the price we should pay for our liberty.
Sierra Leone currently faces a disastrous economic situation and suffering that does not respect the region of origin, ethnic identity, party colours, or social class of anyone. Sadly, this is not the price that we should pay for our liberty.
I remember distinctly, just seven years ago, a bag of rice was sold at 180,000 Old Leones, yet some people cried out, “Angry boku” Today, we buy a bag of rice at Le 1,000,000 Old Leones, starvation is boldly written on the faces of our people, yet we have a government that refuses to even pronounce the word “hunger.” Indeed, that is not the price we should pay for our liberty.
My Dear Comrades,
I have known the APC as an organically rooted party in the hearts of Sierra Leoneans since its foundation, with an enviable track record of overcoming difficulties, a tradition of innovative developmental governance, and an indestructible allegiance to the welfare of the people of Sierra Leone. As a party, we have built a rich multiethnic culture of triumphant legacies, including being the first opposition party in Sub-Saharan Africa to defeat a sitting government in 1967 and 2007. We did it because the APC Party in those periods was led by a resolved, determined and pragmatic leadership that was drawn from within its internally trained and certified children.
I have actively served the APC Party in various capacities for over 22 years. With dedication and commitment, I have toiled, tilled, succumbed, bowed, and cooperated with its rank and file, poured my energy, with courage and humility, into its survival and success story.
I believe I have shown, more than any other contender in this race an action-centred leadership with proven record and experience necessary to justify my aspiration to lead this party, a party that I have devoted my life to building and protecting, even when its very existence was under threat.
Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, I am here to provide that leadership!
Therefore, as its rightful and native son, I, Comrade Bai Mahmoud Bangura, hereby declare on this 26th. day of July 2025, I will contest for the position of National Leader and Presidential Candidate of the APC Party in the 2026 APC National Delegates Conference for the 2028 General Elections.
I will provide the leadership that will take the APC Party to State House and improve the lives of our people.
I am excited but determined, exuberant but focused, humble but certain that I will not relent because I know our cause is righteous to save the philosophy of our party from extinction and our nation from collapse. Our mission is sacred and shall be inundated with leadership actions and the APC’s ideological reasoning rather than excuses and misplaced priorities. With my leadership, we will conquer any mountain and secure our freedom once we have identified it.
That is the mission! It is my project, your project, our project and our hope!
So, help me God!
Comrades of the APC and prospective delegates of the 2026 APC National Delegates Conference; Let me, at this juncture, speak to you through the fundamental pillars of the Party, to which you belong. Let us, for a moment, imagine a situation where all of us had gone to look for greener pastures to create wealth for ourselves and our families when the going got tough. Will there be any APC Party today? My aspiration to lead the APC stands a beacon of hope and a moral inspiration to you and your children who have been selflessly and religiously serving the APC Party with your life and sweat, hopeful that someday you will be rewarded. Indeed, the APC Party rewards loyalty and dedicated service. This is why I am confident that no amount of money, intimidation or propaganda will buy your support and loyalty, as you have decided to follow BMB, and there is no turning back.
TO THE WARD, CONSTITUENCY, DISTRICT AND REGIONAL EXECUTIVES
You form the greater percentage of those responsible to determine the leadership of our great party. I am not that stranger to you.
Before the arrival of the PhDs and money, people where there who believe you can leaders and decision makers despite your situations, there were people who believe in your wisdom and commitment to this party, and believed you must be recognised, there were people who believe we should help the sick, help bachelor, help the widow, shelter the needy, I am one of them. We have not done that because we wanted to be Flagbearers, but because we believed you deserved it. I have done it as your brother and comrade; I will do more as your Leader and President! “Here I am, send me!”
TO THE ELDERS AND VETERANS OF THE APC PARTY,
I feel humbled and blessed to have profitably benefited from your tutelage as your mentee. You have not only served as a deep pool of wisdom but also as a reservoir of knowledge, experience, strength, and reconciliation. I have served you. I fenced your moral territory to maintain and safeguard your dignity. I know you are worried about the imminent threat of ideological extinction of the APC Party, and I know your lifetime wish has been to transition this great party into leadership that will preserve its values and traditions and dignify your diligent service to ideals and the nation.
Yes, our party needs a leader who truly listens, respects your invaluable contributions, and believes in and reveres your wisdom.
I have done this as your son. I will do more as your National Leader and President! “Here I am, send me!”
TO THE APC FORMER MINISTERS, PARLIAMENTARIANS AND INTENDING PRESIDENTIAL ASPIRANTS (FLAG-BEARERS),
I have resigned my position as the National Organising Secretary in compliance with the APC 2022 Constitution, and I am putting myself forward to contest for the Party’s leadership and Presidential Candidacy, as mentioned earlier. I am doing so not out of vaulting ambition or because I am better than all of you, but because I know the task of winning the 2028 General Elections largely requires a leader you all know can trust and work with all of you sincerely to harness your wisdom and expertise without apprehensions or reservations. A leader who respects and values your efforts and contributions without any hidden agenda. A leader you know will never harbour a grudge against any of you, regardless of the situation. A leader who will be humble enough to be the servant but brave and determined enough to fight for the APC Victory, as though he had everything to lose if the APC loses any election.
To some of you, I am a younger brother; to others, I am a close friend, an agemate, and a colleague. You all know that I am the only aspirant in this race with a proven record of successfully working with every one of you in different capacities. For some of you, I have sincerely served and defended you in your respective aspirations. You all know that we can get along well.
So, as we all get into the race to exercise our rights as senior members of the APC Party, I can assure you that I will win the race as National Leader, and I will work with all of you to take APC to governance.
I have done it as your brother, friend and colleague. I will do more as your leader and President! “Here I am, send me!”
TO THE APC WOMEN,
I stand in celebration of the incredible women of the APC and Sierra Leone. You have demonstrated remarkable courage and unique strength. You have remained focused even in the face of decay, abuse, and hardship that threaten the very foundations of our human rights and democracy. I honour you because you are loyal and dependable partners on this journey.
I have actively empowered you with several opportunities to maximise your potential beyond your imagination. This includes, but is not limited to, countless scholarships, business and leadership opportunities, among others. There are many examples, and some are right here!
I am the first and only APC Youth President who appointed a woman as Vice President. I superintended over a National Youth League Executive that comprised over 40% of women, most of whom have metamorphosed into distinguished careers in the services of our party and nation today, because I believe you deserve more than 30%. I have inspired hope in many of you with the courage to pursue your dreams.
I have done it as your son and brother. I will do more as your Leader and President! “Here I am, send me!”
TO MY ALMA MATER, THE APC YOUTH,
You know I believe in you; your unprecedented energies, abilities, enduring talents, and towering ambitions, not because I was one of you, but because I have worked with you, for you, by you, led you, and inspired you.
My political history is fundamentally defined by service to the youth, transforming your lives, giving you confidence, making you relevant, keeping you strong, and capacitating you to solve problems and keep your hopes alive. With that, I have been exposed to dangers, adversities, and persecution because of you, and because of this, many still mistake me for being a youth.
While I am no longer a youth, I remain a youth father, mentor, champion, and friend who leads and partners with you.
With my years of experience working with you, my understanding of youth has expanded beyond age to include all active, energetic, and economically vulnerable individuals who, in society, often seek to be heard, recognised, or included in the activities of their communities. Therefore, I know that our current youth bulge is a ticking time bomb that urgently needs leadership.
And I know that you will never make that generational mistake to believe that our party and country needs leadership that is born to academic titles, wealthy aristocrats, or political ventriloquists. And I know you need a generational leader who is not only brave but strong and intelligent enough to identify and mobilise your talents and energies across all ages and backgrounds to achieve Vision 2030. A leader who believes that it takes competence to construct a bridge and not a tribe. A leader who believes that young people can learn and grow better from their mistakes.
A leader who takes responsibility and does not dwell on excuses and blames.
During my tenure as APC Youth President, I created the enabling environment and mainstreamed the participation and active involvement of intellectual and grassroots young people into political and other leadership positions to the level we have seen today. From Local Councils to Parliament, Ward Executives to the National Executive of the Party, you see young people all over making waves. I have done it as your friend and brother. I will do more as your Leader and President! “Here I am, send me!”
TO ALL PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES IN APC,
I have worked with you when many people thought you were not able because you are physically challenged. We proved them wrong because I made them realise that even the deaf and the blind can see and hear the development of a nation.
I can make you even more able with me at the top as your Leader and President! I know you believe that. I have done it as your friend and brother. I will do more as your Leader and President! “Here I am, send me!”.
TO THE GRASSROOTS AND AFFILIATE BODIES,
You are in the majority and the very foundation of the APC. Under your affiliate organisations, you remain the backbone of our party. Do you remember when some people campaigned against your delegate status? I stood there for you because, just as in the Magna Carta Act of 1215, which declared “no taxation without representation”, I believe in you because of your selfless, genuine, and loyal service to the APC. With you, the APC is safe. You only need a leader who can convert your immense strength into an undeniable victory.
I have done it as your friend and brother. I will do more as your Leader and President! “Here I am, send me!”
TO THE APC LAWYERS,
I salute your courage to work and openly identify yourself with the APC Party. The APC Party and its membership, leaders, and stakeholders have been on trial since 2018, under the reigns of the SLPP, including my humble self and Former President Dr. EBK. I know you have been in different courtrooms and police stations across the country in defence of the APC and its membership. We applaud you for those of us who have been freed and encourage you to push harder for those still in detention, because we believe you can do it, and you are our only hope to get them freed.
Even though some of you will accompany me in this race as candidates to make it fun and lively, I believe we owe you all a duty of gratitude. I believe that we have learned enough lessons to correct the criminal justice system in this country.
I have fought and successfully advocated for the empowerment of many of you and your accession to strategic decision-making positions within the APC Party and the country at large. There are many examples: from facilitating your recruitment into the membership of the Party to helping you secure enviable executive positions within the Party at all levels, and for some parliamentary seats and other national leadership positions in the Party and the country, including National Legal Advisers, Secretaries General, Deputy and Vice Presidential Candidature to name but few. Now, it is your turn to support my mission.
I have done it as your friend and brother. I will do more as your Leader and President! “Here I am, send me!”
TO THE APC MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT AND COUNCILS,
You are the only automatic delegates for the 2026 National Delegates Conference pursuant to the APC 2022 Constitution, and that is why I can guarantee your partnership in this project. For many reasons,
I stood out for you when it was not fashionable to do so, because I believed in you and your service to the APC Party; they called you names, but I called you prospect, and untapped potential. They fought against you; we fought together, and we defeated them. My aspiration is, therefore, to expand the scope of the exceptional leadership that you have already demonstrated. Amidst a ruthless government, you have performed admirably, with exemplary dedication. You speak, work, and provide vital oversight. You need a leader who listens, understands, and acts accordingly to lead the APC to an unstoppable victory and to form a government in line with the aspirations of our people.
I have done it as your friend and brother. I will do more as your Leader and President! “Here I am, send me!”
TO THE APC DIASPORA,
During my tenure as the Youth League President of the APC, I focused on exploring the crucial importance of the diaspora in the development of the APC and our Country. When others saw diasporas as competitors, I saw an opportunity for partnership.
I expanded the Youth League’s presence from the initial two branches to twenty-two (22) branches across the world. These adventures have increased the Diaspora’s financial and political contributions to the APC Party. My architectural design can be vividly seen in the Sixth Region.
This discovery has become a treasure of hope, finances, and international connections. Who else can be a better friend or brother than I am?
I will do more as your Leader and President! “Here I am, send me!”
TO MY CONSTITUENCY, THE GENERAL MEMBERSHIP OF THE NATIONAL UNION OF APC STUDENTS (NUAS) HERE PRESENT AND AT VARIOUS INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER LEARNING,
From the Secretary General to the President of the APC Youth League, I have transformed the union from a quasi-support group to an official body within the Party’s structure and an integral component of the APC National Young Congress with twenty national delegates. That is an indelible legacy that you should be proud of.
This is an open invitation for you all to join the “Coalition of the Willing” and be a part of the process
of taking the APC to governance with BMB. “FOLLOW WHO KNOW ROAD!”
I have done it as your brother and friend. I will do more as your Leader and President! “Here I am, send me!”
MY NATIONAL MISSION: Building Bridges and Rebirth of Prosperity
Our country has faced several challenges in its development history, but not on the scale and magnitude we have seen since the SLPP took over governance in 2018 due to bad governance and ineffective leadership. Our beloved country is at risk of losing its national identity, as the fabric of our national unity and identity has been shrouded in ethnicity and tribal bigotries.
Our once fastest-growing economy in the world under the APC EBK Leadership has now occupied the bottom of the Human Development Index, with the worst economy since independence, which is a national disgrace. My message to you is simple: Do not despair; hope is here. We are a resilient nation in which people flourish once an enabling environment is provided.
My sacred mission is to bring Sierra Leone back on track to National Prosperity by building and maintaining bridges with a renewed hope to create that enabling environment.
My vision is guided by my deepest aspirations to build a cohesive nation, restore leadership trust, and be driven by a healthy population characterised by industrially diversified economic growth, a generation marked by unique productivity, modern infrastructure, and an energy revolution. This is not just my journey; it is our project, and together, we can unite to forge a future where every Sierra Leonean can thrive successfully, justice prevails, and our nation truly stands as a beacon of progress and harmony.
My leadership journey as NUAS Secretary General FBC, Deputy Editor of We Yone Press, Youth League Secretary General, APC Youth President, Presidential Youth Aide, Minister of Youth Affairs, APC National Organising Secretary, and members of the National Advisory Committee, as well as Former APC Acting National Chairman, prepared me with more training and institutional experience than any other contender in this race.
I have witnessed firsthand the consequences of neglect and abuse of power, and we have stood firm in the face of injustice. I have felt the pain of those denied opportunities. I have walked alongside those who feel ignored and neglected.
Therefore, I envision a Sierra Leone in which no one is left behind.
- Where your background does not define your destiny.
- Where merit, hard work, and integrity open doors for every citizen, and not tribalism, favouritism, or political patronage.
I know the hopes that live in the hearts of our fellow Sierra Leoneans.
- They hoped for a decent job to provide for their family. ▪ They hoped for quality education for their children and ▪ They hoped for good healthcare, security, and dignity.
- These aspirations are not too much to ask; they are the foundation of any decent society.
My mission is to work tirelessly to create an enabling environment in which these hopes can be realised:
- Where aspirational opportunities are abundant,
- Where enterprise and innovation are encouraged,
- Where institutions are operative, effective and serve the people well, and
- Where every Sierra Leonean, regardless of background or circumstance, can achieve their full
As the late Dr. Oloh so powerfully sang: “Sierra Leone na we all yone”
This is the Sierra Leone we deserve, the Sierra Leone that I will fight for, and above all, the Sierra Leone that all of us will strive together to build through the APC Party under my leadership.
Now, I am ready, willing and capable to lead the APC Party to governance come 2028, and the SLPP knows I am unstoppable. I cannot be intimidated or silenced. I have never been defeated since I was born, and so shall it be when you elect me as your Leader and Presidential Candidate for the 2028 General Elections.
Join me and let’s match decisively and resolutely, united in our vision to create a new chapter replete with renewed hope for our party’s future and an enduring legacy of dedication to our nation’s welfare.While others speak of change, I have lived it; I have built it from the ground up. I am here offering you a proven record of action.
When our party teetered on the brink of collapse, I defended it. When young people needed a voice, I raised my voice on their behalf. I have been with the party throughout all the phases of the national struggle.
When our members needed leadership, I did not hesitate to step forward and lead. Today, I call on all of you to stand with me again and let us make history together.
Comrades all,
Our party now stands at a decisive point where we must decide whether to cling to the past or forge a new, bold future.
I am presenting myself as your candidate of choice, one with a proven record of political leadership and institutional memory required to forge that bold new future.
I have been equipped with the skills, experience and ability to build a formidable, determined team to win elections,
And you know, I can inspire and mobilise grassroots in every community, every chiefdom, every district, and every corner of the country.
With my leadership, the APC party will not merely participate in the next election; we must win decisively.
With my leadership, the APC will rise again stronger, more united, and more prepared to govern in the national interest.
With my leadership, the APC will restore and energise Sierra Leone’s democracy, re-establish the rule of law, and restore electoral integrity, and pursue policies that guarantee fairness, equity, justice, and access to basic services for all Sierra Leoneans.
With my leadership, we will manage our resources transparently and prudently for the benefit of generations to come. We will build an aspiration rooted in discipline, solidarity, and unbreakable resolve.
With my leadership, we will fight for every vote, defend every ballot, and rightfully return the APC party to power in 2028.
With your trust, strength, and firm support, I earnestly pledge to lead that determined fight fearlessly, tirelessly, and with every ounce of my energy and conviction until victory is eventually ours.With my leadership, the APC Party will rise as one, march forward together, and prove to the world that the APC remains the only party of Action, Progress and Commitment to uniting and building Sierra Leone.
WHAT NEXT
Distinguished Comrades,
I have officially resigned from the position of National Organising Secretary of our great party, not because I am stepping away from service, but because I am stepping up to the next level of national duty. This decision is not sudden; it is strategic, well-thought-out, and deeply rooted in my enduring commitment to my country and party.
At the age of 33, I was honoured to receive wisdom from former President Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma. He said to me:
“Young Man, be patient. By the time you are 45, you would have seen it all”. Today, I stand at 45, and truly, I have seen it all.
I have seen leadership in its most demanding form. I have experienced opulence, yet I have also walked through the valleys of poverty. I have endured trials and challenges, weathered betrayals, and have drawn strength from weakness. I know of the harsh realities of imprisonment and the priceless value of freedom. I have served in the corridors of governance and have stood resilient in the trenches of opposition.
These experiences have not weakened me; they have moulded me, refined me, and prepared me more for leadership.
I now carry with me a depth of experience in leadership and governance and a sound understanding of Sierra Leone’s development patterns, including the roots of our national challenges.
I am a true APCian, deeply grounded in the philosophy of constructive nationalism, in which patriotism meets purposeful leadership.
My next steps are clear, steady, and grounded in destiny.
I will contest, win, and become the next leader and presidential candidate of the All Peoples Congress (APC) Party for the 2028 General Elections.
I will rise to become the next President of the Republic of Sierra Leone.
Momentum for change has already been established.
We have made our voices known, and they’re trembling at the stomping of our feetThe country is geared toward a transition of power from JMB to BMB.
This is not just my mission; it is our collective project. It is our shared hope. It is our only pathway to undeniable victory and meaningful transformation.
I cannot do it alone; that is why I am willing and ready to collaborate with a plethora of bright minds, willing and determined to take diverse approaches to earn the APC Party a decisive victory. The Bai Mahmoud Bangura Foundation is just one of my institutional paraphernalia for achieving this goal. As you have all seen, this foundation is led and managed by young people and is designed to empower communities and transform lives.
I therefore feel exclusively privileged for the honour to serve as its Chief Executive Officer.
I call on every Sierra Leonean, young or old, at home and abroad, to participate in this journey.
Join this cause, support this vision, and stand with me, so together, we can rewrite the future of our great nation.
The time is now! The leader is ready! The mission is clear! Victory is possible! Change is certain!
Long live the APC Party
Long Live our Unionism
God Bless Sierra Leone
Thank you
Yours truly,
Comrade Hon. Bai Mahmoud Bangura, BMB – Our Project, Our Hope!