{Sierra Leone’s governing All Peoples Congress (APC) party has dismissed the country’s Vice-President, raising grave doubts about his political future.}
Samuel Sam Sumana, who is currently in quarantine following the death of one of his body guards to Ebola last week, was expelled at after a meeting of the top-tier national advisory council of the ruling party.
The meeting held at the party’s headquarters in Freetown was attended by President Ernest Bai Koroma.
APC’s secretary-general, Ousman Yansaneh, told the press later that a 9-man committee which investigated the VP found that he had lied about his religion.
In Sierra Leone, the President and the VP have always been from the two dominant religions – Islam and Christianity.
Mr Sumana was also accused of lying about his educational qualifications and was said to be suffering from throat cancer. Further, the VP was alleged to have formed a new party with a small army of thugs.
For most Sierra Leoneans, news of the vice-president’s Friday expulsion may have come as little surprise. He has been engaged in a bitter rivalry with the president over his succession.
Koroma is serving his last and final term, as per current constitutional provisions. But there has been debate around an alleged plan to modify the provisions and allow him run again.
Joint ticket
Although nothing has been said about Mr Sumana’s position as VP, questions are being asked about the implications of his expulsion.
According to analysts, the president cannot, by constitutional mandate, dismiss the vice-president because they are both elected on a joint ticket.
The same constitution is however unclear on what happens if either is removed from their political party. But the constitution provides for the removal of the president or VP from office on grounds of mental illness or physical incapability.
It also says they can be removed for misconduct as determined by a parliamentary tribunal and voted on by two-thirds of the parliament.
As things stands now, those who know the APC, which currently has the numbers in parliament, say nothing can be ruled out as far as the fate of the VP is concerned.
Like the country`s First Lady, Mr Sumana hails from the diamond-rich Kono district. He has been credited for bankrolling the APC ahead of its 2007 electoral victory.
But aside from the financial benefit, the APC also enjoyed from his association in other ways.
Kono district has been like a swing state for both the APC and the opposition Sierra Leone People’s Party, but it was the APC that benefitted in 2007.
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