Fatima Bio, David Sengeh, Others’ Not Qualified for 2028 Flagbearer Former SLPP Secretary General

A former Secretary-General of the ruling Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP), Sulaiman Banja Tejan-Sie, has asserted that several high-profile figures rumored to be eyeing the party’s 2028 presidential ticket—including First Lady Fatima Bio and Chief Minister Dr. David Moinina Sengeh—are currently constitutionally disqualified from running.

According to Tejan-Sie, a legal practitioner and member of the party’s National Executive Council (NEC), the barrier lies in the specific membership category required to become a flagbearer: the “Distinguished Grand Chief Patron” (DGCP).

Citing the SLPP 2020 Constitution, Tejan-Sie explained that most of the “rumored” aspirants do not hold this title, a prerequisite under Article 16C for anyone seeking the presidential nomination.