Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr
The political climate has suddenly changed with the election of a flagbearer by the opposition All Peoples Congress party in Sierra Leone Dr Samura Mathew Wilson Kamara was elected in a landslide to be the Flagbearer of the APC party during the National Delegates Conference which was held in the northern town of Makeni in Sierra Leone. No announcement was made about who would be Dr Kamara’s running mate. But Newstime Africa can authoritatively reveal that the current Mayor of Freetown, Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr is being seriously considered as the only choice that will bring a clear victory against the current party in government, the SLPP led by President Julius Maada Bio.
The outstanding International reputation of the Mayor and the high esteem in which she is held around the world will not only bring the much-needed credibility the opposition needs to enjoy the support of the International community, but her popularity in the country will also be a deciding factor on how the votes will swing in favour of the APC in June when the presidential elections will be held. Aki-Sawyerr has built for herself a no-nonsense reputation as a go-getter, hardworking and tough administrator who has single-handedly turned the nation’s capital into the admiration and envy of other cities around the world with numerous accolades won by the current Mayor in her quest to elevate the profile of the capital city as a beacon for change in all aspects of life from climate change and other critical environmental concerns.
By choosing Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr, Samura Kamara will be making a wise choice that will inflict a significant blow to Julius Maada Bio and guarantee Samura Kamara the votes of the Western rural Area indigenous Krios. Aki-Sawyer, considered by many as a safe pair of hands, will also bring to the government a dynamic approach to governance which has seen the amazing transformation of the nation’s capital as a modern metropolitan city in the West African region. Aki-sawyer is also extremely well educated having obtained a Master’s degree from a top British University.
The SLPP knows too well the dangers of facing Aki-Sawyerr at the polls and will be hoping that Samura Kamara decides on choosing an alternative running mate! But the stakes are too high this time for Samura Kamara to make another monumental mistake that will ultimately cost him the presidency after tasting defeat at the very hands of Julius Maada Bio in the last Presidential Elections in 2018. Kamara has another opportunity to correct the mistakes of the past in choosing a formidable partner this time in the person of Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr who brings the natural prospect of winning a landslide in June this year as the country prepares to choose its next President.
The ruling party has thrown all that it can to destroy the hard-earned reputation of Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr using the daft and inept Anti-Corruption commissioner, to make up trumped-up charges against the Mayor accusing her of corruption when in fact its the government that has destroyed the fabric of the nations economy. But Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr has been steadfast in her determination to succeed and had paid little or no attention to the futile attempt by those in power to bring her down and her popularity continues to soar in the midst of it all. She remains an enigma in the face of the constant barrage of attacks at the hands of unprofessional journalists who take turns in using their rag-tag news medium to shamefully write about a woman who has worked so hard to get to where she is now. She continues to rise and is now set to be the first female Vice President the country has ever seen.
