APC Meeting Draws Criticism Over Statements Attributed to Lansana Dumbuya

The All Peoples Congress (APC) held a meeting at the Atouga mini stadium in Freetown on 31 January 2026, bringing together party members, supporters and flag bearer aspirants.

A report on the gathering has criticised statements attributed to APC National Secretary General Lansana Dumbuya, describing them as profane, provocative, dangerous and unedifying. The report said the meeting was expected to be peaceful.

Among the claims in the report is that Dumbuya described a sitting president as a thief without providing demonstrative evidence. The identity of the president was not given, and the exact wording and wider context of the alleged statement were not provided.

The report also questioned how someone who identifies as a lawyer could make such an accusation without evidence. It further alleged that Dumbuya had a propensity to incite violence, although it did not provide independent evidence to establish that claim.

Calls for clarification and response

The report called on the CID to invite Dumbuya to clarify his statements. It also urged APC leadership to publicly condemn the remarks attributed to its National Secretary General.

In addition, it called for Dumbuya to retract the statements publicly and apologise to the nation. There is no information indicating whether the CID invited or questioned him, whether APC leaders issued a condemnation, or whether Dumbuya later retracted the remarks or apologised.

Reported PPRC fine

The report said the PPRC imposed a stiff fine on the APC over statements attributed to Dumbuya and a woman identified as Zainab Sheriff.

It did not state the amount of the alleged fine, the date it was imposed or provide formal documentation. The available information also does not establish that Sheriff made statements at the Atouga meeting; it only links her to statements for which the report said the APC was fined.

Some members of the APC who were described as decent may have felt embarrassed by the remarks, according to the report. The account did not include a response from Dumbuya, Sheriff or the APC leadership.