The Secretariat of Dr. Ibrahim Bangura has commenced a new phase of its political mobilisation in the Western Area, targeting certified delegates ahead of the All People’s Congress (APC) National Delegates Conference, as aspirants begin laying the groundwork for the party’s 2028 flagbearer contest.
The initiative, which the DIB Secretariat has termed “Delegates Maintenance,” was launched on Saturday with volunteers directed to establish and maintain direct contact with delegates across constituencies and wards.
The move represents a shift in the campaign’s strategy from participation in the APC’s internal ward and constituency elections to sustained engagement with delegates who are expected to participate in the party’s national delegate process.
Speaking during the launch, Hon. Minister Cornelius Deveaux, Head of the DIB Secretariat, told volunteers that the campaign had entered a different phase following the conclusion of ward and constituency elections.
Deveaux said the Secretariat had compiled information relating to the delegates, including their names, telephone numbers and addresses, and that volunteers would now be expected to engage them directly within their respective communities.
“We are now in the phase of delegates maintenance,” Deveaux told the gathering, according to remarks delivered at the launch.
He said five volunteers from each constituency and ward would be deployed to engage delegates in their communities, arguing that volunteers who share the same local background with delegates would be better positioned to establish contact and communicate with them.
The Secretariat also intends to use the engagement to present Dr. Ibrahim Bangura’s leadership credentials to delegates as the campaign seeks to consolidate support ahead of the APC’s eventual national selection process.
According to data presented to volunteers during the launch, ward and constituency elections across the country have been concluded, while between 70 and 80 per cent of constituency elections have reportedly been validated by the APC.
The party has 132 constituencies nationwide. Each constituency is expected to present eight delegates to the National Delegates Conference, which would put the number of delegates at more than 800 if all the constituencies are represented on that basis.
In the Western Area, officials of the DIB Secretariat said 90 per cent of the 16 constituencies are currently “intact” following the internal elections, while between one and three constituencies are reported to have outstanding issues.
The development comes as the APC’s internal political landscape begins to take shape ahead of the 2028 elections, with several aspirants positioning themselves for the party’s presidential nomination.
For Dr. Ibrahim Bangura, who has publicly declared his intention to contest for the APC flagbearer position, the latest initiative places greater emphasis on the delegates who will form part of the party’s eventual national selection process.
The DIB Secretariat described the delegate engagement programme as the second phase of its campaign structure.
The first phase, according to the Secretariat, centred on securing support during the ward and constituency elections. The second phase will now focus on direct delegate engagement, voter education, issue-based discussions and mobilisation.
Also speaking at Saturday’s event, Ferenkeh Jalloh, Principal Coordinator of Friends of Dr. Ibrahim Bangura, urged supporters of the movement to work collectively in promoting what he described as Bangura’s vision for Sierra Leone.
Jalloh said the campaign’s central message remained “Heal, Unite and Build”, while calling on members to take the mobilisation beyond their existing circles and engage people in their communities.
“We need to work together to promote and advance the vision of Dr. Ibrahim Bangura — Heal, Unite and Build, which we all stand for,” Jalloh said.
He also placed particular emphasis on the involvement of young people, describing them as an important part of the country’s future and urging members of the movement to leave their comfort zones and participate actively in the mobilisation exercise.
Jalloh further appealed to supporters to keep the campaign focused on its stated message rather than political divisions, accusations, tribalism, ethnicity or personal differences.
“This campaign must rise above political interest, political accusations, tribalism, ethnicity, and personal differences,” he said.
According to Jalloh, the movement’s objective was to promote what he described as love, unity and a new vision for Sierra Leone, while urging supporters to collectively champion Bangura’s political ideas.
The APC has yet to announce the date for its National Delegates Conference, meaning that the precise timing and structure of the eventual flagbearer selection remain to be determined by the party’s national leadership.
Nevertheless, the launch of the “Delegates Maintenance” exercise provides an indication of the increasingly organised efforts by the DIB movement to establish contact with delegates ahead of the conference.
With internal party structures gradually taking shape and aspirants positioning themselves for the 2028 contest, delegate mobilisation is expected to remain an important feature of the political activity within the APC in the period leading to the national conference.
For the DIB Secretariat, Saturday’s launch marks the beginning of a more targeted phase of its campaign — one focused less on broad political messaging and more directly on maintaining relationships with the delegates who will eventually participate in the APC’s national delegate process.