Freetown, July 30, 2025— President Julius Maada Bio has firmly denied endorsing any candidate for the Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) presidential ticket ahead of the 2028 general elections. Speaking at the party’s National Delegates’ Conference in Freetown on Wednesday, Bio sought to put growing speculation to rest, stating unequivocally that he has made no endorsement and harbours no future presidential ambition beyond his current term.
“Let me go on record clearly and publicly — I, Julius Maada Bio, have not endorsed any candidate at this stage of my second-term mandate,” he told delegates. “I harbour no presidential ambition beyond my current mandate to serve the people of Sierra Leone.”
His remarks come amid rising internal interest in the SLPP’s 2028 flagbearership, as party members begin to position themselves for leadership. But the president cautioned against early politicking, warning that 2025 must be about governance, not succession.
“2025 is not the time for division, speculation, or distraction,” he said. “This is the time to tighten our belts and return to the trenches of nation-building.”
Addressing hundreds of delegates at the Freetown International Conference Centre, Bio urged party members to choose their next executive based on merit, not slogans or affiliations. He warned that divisive politics in the lead-up to the 2028 elections could weaken the SLPP’s chances of securing an unprecedented third consecutive term in office.
Bio warned that internal divisions in 2025 could jeopardize the party’s chances in the 2028 elections. He urged members to use the Delegates Conference as an opportunity to emerge stronger and more united, rather than fractured or damaged.
Bio’s speech also served as a clear message to potential aspirants that the selection of the 2028 flagbearer will be open, transparent, and governed by party rules. He emphasized that there can only be one flagbearer—the one, he said, whom “the Almighty God has already anointed, to be revealed in His own perfect time.”
He emphasized that loyalty to the party should come above personal ambition. “Let the best among us rise. Let the rest of us lift them up,” he added.
The president also used the platform to send a message to the main opposition, the All People’s Congress (APC), which is expected to hold its own internal elections soon. “You, too, will soon hold your leadership elections,” he said. “I urge you to keep the process clean and fair. Honour your internal democracy and the peace of our nation.”
Bio concluded by urging delegates to remain focused on serving the people, stressing that only by delivering tangible results would they earn the moral right to return in 2028 and ask for the public’s renewed trust. He cautioned against distractions from early political ambitions and called for a firm commitment to the ongoing work of nation-building.
The 2025 SLPP National Delegates’ Conference continues Thursday, with elections for the remaining national executive positions expected to wrap up the two-day event.
They need to focus on the people’s mandate