Chairman Songa Mends SLPP UK&I Rift
London, United Kingdom Leadership is often tested in moments of division, and the Sierra Leone People’s Party United Kingdom and Ireland (SLPP UK&I) recently faced one of its toughest tests in years. What began as a routine regional election a long-awaited democratic exercise after delays caused in part by the COVID-19 pandemic
quickly turned into a bitter contest that left scars across the membership.
When the elections finally came, expectations ran high. The atmosphere was tense, the queues long, and the stakes enormous. While the majority accepted the results with satisfaction, a few dissatisfied voices carried their grievances into legal wrangling, exposing the deep cracks left behind by the campaign.
The UK&I region is not just another overseas branch; it is a cornerstone of the SLPP’s global structure, providing financial, intellectual, and moral support to the party at home. Thus, the stakes of disunity were particularly high. Well-meaning members tried to close the rift, but residual tension lingered. It was clear that a higher-level intervention was needed.
It was in this atmosphere that National Chairman Jimmy Batilo Songa arrived in London, stepping into a role he knows intimately. As the first-ever elected SLPP UK&I Regional Chairman and now the party’s National Chairman, Mr Songa understands the delicate dynamics of the diaspora region, as well as the dangers posed by prolonged factionalism.
Acting on the mandate of the Party Leader and President of the Republic, His Excellency Dr Julius Maada Bio, Chairman Songa immediately began a series of behind-the-scenes engagements with feuding factions. He urged them to mend divisions before temporary cracks hardened into permanent enmity
especially with the 2028 national elections looming ever closer.
Those tireless efforts culminated in a landmark Peace Gathering held at the London residence of Sierra Leone’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, H.E. Dr Morie Komba Manyeh. Present were the current SLPP UK&I Chairman, Alhajie Mohamed Jalloh, and his two former rivals from the hotly contested elections, Mr Hassan Koroma and Mr David Mambu. Also in attendance was Mr Nathaniel Sandy, former SLPP UK&I Vice-Chairman under Mr Songa.
In his address, Chairman Songa urged the three men to bury election hangovers and personal rivalries, and instead channel their energy into strengthening the region for the benefit of the wider SLPP family.
The pursuit of power should not be for personal desires; it has to be for the interest of the people. The best way to justify the people’s trust is to be a unifier,” Chairman Songa declared.
He went on to say that he hoped to report to the Party Leader that “all is well and on course in the UK&I.”
Both Mr David Mambu and Mr Hassan Koroma publicly pledged to work with Chairman Jalloh’s executive team in the interest of peace and progress. Chairman Songa also appealed to Dr Manyeh to serve as a moral guarantor of the peace accord, ensuring that commitments made at the gathering are upheld.
Dr Manyeh, a respected party stalwart, former national chairmanship contender, and long-time servant of the SLPP, reminded the gathering that without peace nothing can thrive. He called on members to honour President Bio’s leadership and vision by supporting the call for unity, stressing that peace must remain the foundation of the region’s future success.
As Chairman Songa prepares to travel to the United States to inaugurate the new SLPP North America executive, he leaves behind a UK&I region renewed in spirit. What only months ago seemed like a deepening rift now appears on the path to healing thanks to his steady intervention, rooted in experience, empathy, and firm leadership.
The message from London is clear: the SLPP diaspora is stronger when united, and unity at home and abroad will be vital as Sierra Leone approaches another defining electoral season.
