By Feima Sesay
Abu Bakarr Kamara the Provincial Secretary of Bumpe Gao chiefdom has on Thursday 3rd April 2025 narrated before Justice Alfred Tommy Ganda as to how Chieftaincy elections are conducted in the chiefdom.
The respondents, including Alfred Sovula Gbandoma, ECSL and the Provincial were dragged to court by the petitioner Sakpa Jibao Gbekpa who is challenging the legitimacy of the Gbandoma election.
The case stems from a civil matter under section 13 of the Chieftaincy Act of 2009.
The petitioner Sakpa Jibao Gbekpa filed a petition against the results of the purported election with the Electoral Commission of Sierra Leone as first respondent, the provincial secretary office in Bo as second respondent and Alfred Sovula Gbandoma as the third respondent.
Accordingly, an injunction was slammed by the court indicating that no activity should be held in the Chiefdom until the matter is been heard and determine at the high court.
The witness Abubakarr Kamara while answering to questions posed to him by the petitioner lawyer B. J Reffle, said he is a civil servant working at the Ministry of Environment as provincial secretary attached at the Southern region Bo.
He said he was before the court based on a subpoena served to him by the court that he should be in court and the subpoena was dated 24 March 2025.
Further, Kamara was asked by lawyer Reffle if there was a declaration of rights process that was held at the Bumpe chiefdom and he responded in the positive and said he was present at the declaration of rights.
The provincial secretary explained that his role is to conduct declaration rights as he is the declaration officer of elections held in the Chiefdoms.
Explaining further , Kamara said during the period of declaration after everyone has done their declaration he proceeded to file a report which was a joint one done by himself, Councilors and tribal authorities.
In court ,he was shown exhibit C10 which he identify as the declaration report he made.
Kamara answering further to questions said
that he is familiar with the provisions of the Chieftaincy Act, adding that there are strict rules that needs to be followed during declaration.
lawyer Reffle further argued that the main law of the Chieftaincy Act indicated that every candidate contesting has to be able to explain themselves clearly to the Councilor, tribal authorities, section chief and the Provincial secretary.
Kamara said that during the day of the declaration one of the contestants was Alfred Sovula Gbandoma, adding that on that day one madam Irini Labor made claims against Sovula Gbandoma that is not eligible to contest for the election.
He said madam Irini Labor further claim that the late grandfather of Sovula Gbandoma was not a paramount chief of Bumpe chiefdom.
He said Madam Irini Labor second claim was that the Gbandoma ruling house was not in existence meaning that it has never been a ruling house.
The provincial secretary in answering to further questions that the rules of declaration is to take notes of every claims made against a contestant by himself,councilor, tribal authorities and section chief has to look into the claims and bring out a report.
The provincial secretary further that the declaration process was video recorded and it was publish all over social media.
He noted that during declaration process there are lay down parameters that should be followed, adding that one of it is that if a candidate is speaking no one should interrupted until him or her is finished.
He further confirmed before the court that he is familiar with the Chieftaincy Act and also the rules to go by during declaration of rights ceremony.
He explained that every objection raised during declaration process should go into a vote and that is stated in section 13 (3) of the Chieftaincy Act.
Again, he was asked by lawyer Reffle that one Joe Kobber also raised an objection on that day of the declaration and he responded that yes he also made an objection but it was for another candidate and not Sovula.
Kamara further answer to questions posed by lawyer Reffle that during declaration process objection can be made questioning the linage of a contestant, adding that there are strict rules in the Act guiding that path.
He continued in further questions posed to him that to confirm the claims made by Madam Irini Labor against Sovula Gbandoma he called one Ansu Gbandoma to confirm if their linage is from a ruling house and so Ansu Gbandoma produced a receipt dated 2002 endorsing their grandfather Joe Lansana Gbandoma that he was a paramount chief.
He was further asked by lawyer Reffle to show the court further documents to prove that the house of Sovula Gbandoma was in ruling but Kamara responded that the building where the documents were kept was burnt down and there are no traces of the documents.
He said he only has receipts of them dated 2002.
At this juncture, the Judge said a receipt can be prepared anywhere, adding that if the building has been burnt down there are archive where he can get those documents.
The witness was shown a document by lawyer Reffle which he identify as the declaration report he made.
He said the report is tittle: Joint Report For The Declaration of Rights dated 7 August 2024.
Lawyer Ruffle then asked the witness that the declaration of rights was held on 7 September 2024 but he wrote on his report that the declaration of rights was held on the 7 August 2024 which means he prepared the report before the declaration ceremony and Kamara responded that it was a mistake, adding that he did not prepared the report before the declaration process but made the report after the declaration process.
Kamara further in answering to questions posed by lawyer Reffle said after the declaration process there was a gazetted list of candidates that was published thrice.
After being questioned by lawyer Reffle, lawyer E. Sarkoh on behalf of the second respondent which is the witness himself posed questions to him.
Kamara in answering to questions posed to him by his lawyer said during declaration process there was only one objection raised about Alfred Sovula Gbandoma and the claims was that the Gbandoma ruling house does not exist and his great grandfather was never a chief of Bumpe chiefdom.
Answering to questions posed to him by lawyer B. T Cummings on behalf of the first respondent which is the Electoral Commission, witness Kamara said after the declaration process list of candidates were published for everyone to see.
The matter was adjourned to 7th May 2025 for continuation of the case.
