It is important that the APC comes out of Makeni smelling roses. Everything has to be done by the current leader/Chairman of the Party to ensure that the outcome of the delegates conference in Makeni is acceptable to all and sundry.
President Ernest Bai Koroma is a very shrewd politician. He is battle-tested having fought and won a very tough APC Leadership contest in 2005, and, in 2007, he defeated an incumbent government, rarely unheard- of in Africa .
It is an open secret that Ernest won more votes than the APC party itself in the elections of 2007. He is more popular than the APC.
Ernest is a valuable electoral asset to the APC. Can they afford to change him now? Can anybody in the APC afford to challenge Ernest for the position of chairman/leader of the APC?
The truth of the matter is that Ernest enjoys a groundswell of support form the younger generation in the Party. He is, by every standard, a very comfortable man. Abdul Serry-Kamal has maintained a loud silence over his ambition to succeed Ernest as Leader/Chairman of the APC. He is one of the level-headed men in the APC. Kemoh Sesay, who has always been seen as the natural successor or heir apparent to Ernest, is also playing his cards close to his chest.
Alimamy Koroma, who was recently removed form the very important Ministry of Trade and Industry and sent to the redundant ministry of Works, is also considered to be nursing Presidential ambitions. But his removal from the political limelight, may, to a very large extent, dispirit him.
Whatever Makeni turns out to be, Ernest would be the biggest loser if someone within the party emerges to challenge him for the leadership position of the APC.
In his best interest, Ernest should now move in earnest (if he has not done so already) to forestall any move to challenge him for the position of leader/Chairman of the APC.
Challenging him for the position will certainly undermine his authority in the APC in time to come.
A clever politician like Ernest does not need to be reminded that, in politics, you take nothing for granted. A stitch in time saves nine.
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