The Political Parties Regulation Commission (PPRC) has taken the significant step of formally gazetting the All People’s Congress (APC) Internal Elections Rules and Regulations, marking a crucial phase in the party’s preparation for its upcoming lower-level elections and the pivotal 2026 National Delegates Conference. This publication, appearing in the Sierra Leone Gazette No. 67, Vol. CLXVI, complies with the mandate outlined in Section 25 of the Political Parties Act 2022 (Act No. 25 of 2022).
With this gazette, the PPRC has initiated a mandatory 30-day period for public review and objection, running from Wednesday, August 13, 2025, to Thursday, September 11, 2025. Throughout this window, the Commission actively invites objections concerning any aspect of the submitted rules and regulations. These objections can originate from APC members directly or from the general public. Submissions must reach the PPRC before the close of business on September 11th and can be delivered in person to the PPRC Head Office located on OAU Drive, Tower Hill in Freetown, or to any of its regional offices situated in Bo, Kenema, Makeni, and Port Loko. Alternatively, objections can be submitted electronically via email to either info@pprc.gov.sl or pprcsierraleone@yahoo.com.
The gazetted framework, which the APC initially submitted to the PPRC for review and approval back in April 2025, meticulously details the structure, sequence, and procedures governing the party’s internal elections across all levels. Its stated objectives are to ensure transparency, foster inclusivity, and maintain strict alignment with the APC’s own Constitution. Key provisions within the rules encompass several tiers of party organization and representation. At the foundational ward level, elections will be conducted within wards officially demarcated by the National Electoral Commission (NEC) under the Public Elections Act. Eligibility for ward positions, which include Chairman, Deputy Chairman, Secretary, Organizing Secretary, and Women’s Leader, requires candidates to be fully paid-up members of the APC for a minimum of one year.
Moving upwards, constituency-level conventions will see contests for over 15 distinct positions, while district conventions will formally incorporate the party’s significant diaspora membership, recognizing it as a structured “sixth region” as expressly stipulated in Article 31(e) of the APC Constitution adopted on March 7, 2022. Further enhancing representation, separate special congresses are mandated for key demographics: the National Women’s Congress will elect 15 officers, the National Veterans Congress will hold its own convention, and the National Young Congress, catering specifically to members aged between 18 and 35 years, will also conduct its elections.
The apex of this internal electoral process will be the National Delegates Conference (NDC), scheduled to take place within 28 days following the completion of all lower-level elections. The NDC carries substantial weight, as it is responsible for electing 12 non-executive members of the influential National Advisory Committee (NAC). Crucially, it will also elect the party’s top executives, including the National Chairman, Deputy National Chairman, National Secretary-General, and National Organizing Secretary. Perhaps most significantly, the NDC will select the APC’s candidate for the Presidency in the 2028 national elections. Reflecting the party’s commitment to broad representation, the voting delegates at the NDC will include members elected from the National Young Congress, the National Union of APC Students, the Women’s Conference, official diaspora chapters, former Members of Parliament, former councilors, and representatives from the party’s wing for persons with disabilities.
The APC has laid out a comprehensive and sequential roadmap for this extensive internal election exercise. Key milestones include the submission of the draft rules to the PPRC on April 28, 2025, and the publication of the preliminary voter/membership register for ward elections on July 19, 2025. The electoral calendar proceeds with ward elections scheduled for August 10, 2025, followed by constituency conventions (including diaspora participation) on September 4, 2025. District conventions, also incorporating the diaspora sixth region, are set for September 30, 2025. Regional conventions, encompassing all five geographical regions plus the diaspora region, will occur on October 24, 2025. Elections for the party’s special wings and groups are slated for October 15, 2025, while conventions for the special organs (Women, Youth, Veterans) are planned for November 17, 2025. The entire process culminates in the National Delegates Conference, scheduled for February 17th to 19th, 2026.
The APC asserts that this meticulously planned process underscores its dedication to robust internal democracy, active grassroots participation, and the meaningful inclusion of its substantial diaspora membership in determining the party’s strategic direction leading up to the 2028 national elections. Copies of the full gazetted rules are accessible to the public for review at the Government Bookshop on Wallace Johnson Street in Freetown, and are also available for download on the PPRC’s official website (www.pprc.gov.sl). The PPRC strongly encourages all interested stakeholders, including APC members and the wider public, to actively participate in this consultation period by scrutinizing the rules and submitting constructive feedback, viewing this engagement as vital for strengthening the APC’s internal democratic processes and, by extension, reinforcing the foundations of democratic governance within Sierra Leone’s evolving political landscape.