APC stalwart, Alpha Kanu, resigns after 60-year membership
Alpha Kanu, known as AK-11 and The Ferryman, has resigned from the All Peoples Congress (APC) party after a membership spanning over 60 years. Kanu, who has been an active member of the party since 1991, cited “persistent unpleasant prevailing circumstances” as the reason for his departure.
In a letter of immediate resignation sent to the APC Headquarters in Brookfields, Freetown, Kanu highlighted his relationship with members of the executive as being a “roller coaster,” specifically mentioning his removal as National Publicity Secretary in 2017. He noted that while his services to the party were desirable, his engagement in decision-making processes met with an impenetrable “glass ceiling” at all times.
Kanu stated that his focus, at this point in his life, is to help move Sierra Leone forward in the area of political and socio-economic development for the benefit of the people. He believes that this aspiration cannot be fulfilled if he continues his membership of the APC.
Kanu’s resignation comes as a blow to the APC, which is preparing for the general elections in just a few months. The APC has yet to respond to Kanu’s resignation, but political analysts suggest that his departure could have a significant impact on the party’s performance in the upcoming elections.
Kanu is a well-known figure in Sierra Leonean politics, having served as Minister of Information and Communications and as the party’s nominee for Presidential Candidate in the 2018 Presidential Elections. His resignation highlights the growing divisions within the APC, which has been struggling to regain power since losing the 2018 election to the Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP).
The Chairman of the APC, as well as the Chairmen of the All Political Parties Association (APPA) and the Political Parties Registration Commission (PPRC), have all been copied in on Kanu’s letter of resignation. The APC has yet to comment on the resignation.
Following his resignation from the All Peoples Congress (APC) party, Alpha Kanu, known as AK11 or The Ferryman, has been welcomed into the Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) by the country’s First Lady, Fatima Maada Bio.
In a tweet, First Lady Bio officially welcomed Kanu, who was a former Spokesperson to former President Ernest Bia Koroma, a former minister of Mine, Political Affairs and presidential adviser. The First Lady congratulated Kanu on his decision to join the SLPP and stated that he was “most welcome.”
Kanu’s decision to join the SLPP is a significant move, as he was a long-standing member of the APC party, which is the main opposition party in Sierra Leone. His departure from the APC has been viewed as a major blow to the party, which has been struggling to regain power since losing the 2018 elections.
The SLPP, on the other hand, is currently in power, with President Julius Maada Bio at the helm. Kanu’s decision to join the ruling party could be seen as a vote of confidence in the Bio administration and its policies.
Kanu is a well-respected figure in Sierra Leonean politics, having served as Minister of Information and Communications and as the APC’s nominee for Presidential Candidate in the 2018 Presidential Elections. His decision to join the SLPP could sway other APC members to follow suit, potentially weakening the opposition party further.
As the general elections in Sierra Leone draw closer, the political landscape in the country is becoming increasingly polarized. Kanu’s move to the SLPP is just the latest development in what promises to be a fiercely contested election.
