The Deputy Parliamentary Spokesman of the All People’s Congress (APC), Hon. Alpha Ben Mansaray, has called on the party’s leadership to urgently reconnect with its grassroots supporters, warning that declining confidence within the party’s base could affect its electoral prospects ahead of the 2028 elections.
Mansaray made the call in a statement issued on August 11, 2026, in which he described the grassroots as the foundation of the APC and expressed concern over what he said was a decline in confidence and enthusiasm among sections of the party’s support base following the 2023 elections.
Hon. Alpha Ben Mansaray is an APC Member of Parliament representing Moyamba District. Parliamentary records have also identified him as the party’s Deputy Opposition Spokesperson in the Sixth Parliament. (Parliament of Sierra Leone)
According to Mansaray, APC supporters and sympathisers continue to raise concerns about the conduct and outcome of the 2023 elections, as well as the management and leadership of the party.
He said many grassroots members continue to participate in voter registration exercises and elections despite facing economic difficulties, but argued that some feel their concerns have not received adequate attention from the party leadership.
“The grassroots are the coolant of our political engine. When their confidence, trust and enthusiasm begin to evaporate, the entire political machinery overheats,” Mansaray said.
The APC lawmaker also raised concerns about what he described as “strategic drift” within the party, which he attributed to performance gaps, leadership gaps and competition for positions at ward, constituency and district levels.
He further referenced the resignation of individuals from strategic party positions to pursue personal political ambitions, questioning who should assume responsibility for sustaining party structures when such situations arise.
According to Mansaray, internal competition for influence is contributing to divisions within the party and weakening its structures at the grassroots level.
He urged the APC leadership, aspiring leaders, elected representatives and other stakeholders to make rebuilding trust with the grassroots a priority as the party prepares for the next general elections.
Mansaray called for increased engagement with supporters both within Sierra Leone and in the diaspora, alongside what he described as an honest acknowledgement of past shortcomings and a deliberate effort to address outstanding grievances.
He also advocated stronger internal structures, fairness and inclusiveness in the management of party affairs.
“The grassroots must not be treated as an audience that only matters during elections. They must be treated as partners in rebuilding the party,” he said.
Mansaray maintained that the APC has no shortage of people, experience or supporters, but argued that the party requires renewed trust, credible leadership, internal justice and greater structural discipline to strengthen its position ahead of 2028.
His intervention comes as the APC continues to position itself for the next electoral cycle, with questions about internal cohesion, grassroots mobilisation and leadership likely to remain part of the party’s political conversation in the period leading to the 2028 elections.
Parliament is expected to resume in October 2026, although the specific date of reconvening should be confirmed against the official parliamentary calendar before publication.