Kanu says Bai Koroma ended his presidential ambition; now serves rival SLPP

Presidential Spokesman Alpha Kanu has revealed that his political rift with former President Ernest Bai Koroma began when his own presidential ambitions were crushed. Once Koroma’s closest advisor and loudest defender, Kanu claims the former leader personally blocked his bid to lead the opposition All People’s Congress in 2017.
The breakdown ended a decades-long political partnership. After declaring his intention to run for president, Kanu was stripped of his party executive role when Koroma handpicked a different candidate. Kanu eventually cut ties with the APC in 2023, stating that senior party leaders had made him feel unwelcome.