Sierra Leone Faces Election Credibility Questions Ahead of 2028 Vote

Sierra Leone is entering the early stages of preparations for its 2028 elections amid disputes affecting both a prominent election-monitoring body and the country’s constitutional framework.

The developments involve an internal leadership dispute within National Election Watch (NEW) and legal challenges to the Constitution of Sierra Leone (Amendment) Bill, 2025, which Parliament approved in August 2026. Together, they have raised questions about institutional confidence and the conditions needed for credible elections.

Dispute over NEW leadership

NEW was established in 2002 by 494 registered civil society organizations, shortly after Sierra Leone began rebuilding its democratic institutions following the civil war. Its mission has been to monitor, evaluate and support electoral processes nationwide.

Over more than two decades, the organization has developed a nationwide membership and observer network and become a familiar presence during elections. Its public messaging has also been associated with the signature tune “Mama en Papa.” Marcella Samba-Sesay is identified as one of its leaders whose assessments have been followed during election periods.

NEW held elections in April to select a new leadership and announced officials expected to take over the organization. The process was subsequently challenged by an aggrieved party, whose identity is not specified in the report.

The dispute resulted in judicial intervention and an injunction restricting NEW from carrying out its traditional functions. The terms, duration and issuing court of the injunction have not been provided.

The report calls for the disagreement to be resolved transparently, lawfully and urgently, given NEW’s role in observing electoral processes and supporting public accountability.

Constitutional amendment faces legal challenges

A separate dispute concerns the Constitution of Sierra Leone (Amendment) Bill, 2025, approved by Parliament in August 2026.

The government has presented the proposed changes as democratic reforms intended to modernize the electoral system, widen inclusion, reduce the cost and tension associated with presidential runoffs, and address weaknesses identified in earlier reviews.

The opposition, however, has challenged key provisions and the process through which the bill advanced. The All People’s Congress has taken the dispute to the Supreme Court, challenging the Speaker’s interpretation and the procedure used to pass the amendment.

A Freetown law firm has also made a separate legal intervention, questioning whether the constitutionally required threshold was reached. The exact threshold and the provisions under challenge have not been specified.

The president is seeking clarification from the Supreme Court. The report does not provide the status or outcome of the proceedings.

Implications for 2028 preparations

The disputes come as Sierra Leone continues to deal with unresolved distrust associated with the disputed 2023 elections. Questions concerning transparency, public confidence, electoral administration and the credibility of the announced results remain part of the wider political context.

The report says preparations for credible elections cannot wait until 2028. It identifies voter education, legal reform, institutional oversight, scrutiny of voter registration, engagement with political parties, campaign monitoring, assessment of election technology and broader civic participation as areas requiring advance attention.

It also emphasizes that credible elections depend not only on ballots, polling stations and official declarations, but on legitimate rules, impartial institutions and independent organizations capable of observing the process.

The developments do not by themselves establish a coordinated attempt to manipulate the 2028 elections. Any such conclusion would require evidence, and the report cautions that suspicion should not replace fact. It argues, however, that both disputes require authoritative and timely resolution if public confidence is to be strengthened before the next electoral cycle reaches its final stages.