FREETOWN, Sierra Leone – May 28, 2025 — Sierra Leone’s main opposition All Peoples Congress (APC) has strongly condemned the government’s plan to create new districts and cities, describing the move as “reckless,” “undemocratic,” and politically motivated.
The criticism follows a public announcement by Minister of Local Government and Community Affairs, Tamba Lamina, during the Civic Day Series in Moyamba on May 27.
In his remarks, Lamina confirmed that Cabinet had approved a proposal on April 2, 2025, allowing the government to move forward with restructuring parts of the country’s local governance framework. The plan includes the creation of two new districts, Bandajuma, covering areas of Bo and Pujehun, and Kpanguma, affecting parts of Kenema and Kailahun as well as the elevation of Lungi to city status. It also calls for Freetown to be split into two cities and for the Western Rural District to be divided into three separate councils.
The APC, however, has issued a sharp rebuttal, calling the announcement premature and unlawful. In an official statement signed by APC National Secretary General Lansana Dumbuya, the party said the government had acted “without any proper national consultation, statutory basis, or reliable census data.”
“There is no validated data. The Technical Committees, which should be guiding the process with integrity and inclusivity, are not even fully constituted,” the statement said. “To make matters worse, the APC, the largest opposition party, has been deliberately excluded from the Census Technical Committee. Yet, the Minister now arrogantly announces that Cabinet has already approved new districts and cities?”
The APC warned that it views the move as part of a broader strategy to manipulate Sierra Leone’s administrative boundaries ahead of future elections. It accused the government of undermining the credibility of the upcoming census and manipulating outcomes to consolidate power.
APC also argues that the government’s actions render the entire reform process a “sham.”
Calling for immediate resistance, the APC urged the public to prepare for peaceful demonstrations. “The time has come to stand up,” the statement read. “The APC will be calling on the people to come out in their numbers, peacefully, and in full force, to demonstrate their rejection of this dangerous manipulation of our national governance and electoral structures.”
The party also appealed to international partners including Statistics Sierra Leone, the Ministry of Development Planning, UNDP, UNFPA, the U.S. Embassy, the British High Commission, the EU, ECOWAS, the Irish Embassy, and the African Union to take note of what it called “blatant interference in the census process.”
It ended with a demand for the government to retract the minister’s announcement and issue a full clarification. “Sierra Leone is not a playground for political experiments. This country belongs to all of us, and we will defend its integrity with every ounce of our strength,” the statement concluded.
