The outgoing President of the Sierra Leone Bar Association (SLBA), Tuma Adama Gento-Kamara, has been omitted from the provisional list of eligible voters for Monday’s presidential election, along with several members of her executive.
The Caretaker Body, led by Chairman Osman I. Kanu Esq., published a list of 429 names on 22 October 2026, stating it complies with the Association’s Memorandum and Articles and a High Court order of 23 July 2026.
The list also omits former Public Relations Officer Alfred Kamanda, Vice President Sidique Tommy, General Secretary Alfred Paul Juwah, Treasurer Sotto Kobba and Assistant Treasurer Yoko Mahiteh Brewah.
Members have until 5pm on Saturday, 24 October, to verify their details at the Bar Secretariat before the final register is issued.
A lawyer who spoke to SierraEye said the omission suggests Administrator and Registrar-General Martina Baindu Egbenda, who appears at number 264 on the list, could emerge as president unopposed.
The eligibility criterion stems from a court order issued by Justice Mark Ngegba on 23 July, in a case filed by Ebunoluwa Tengbeh against the SLBA. The order stipulates that only members who paid conference and subscription fees on or before 29 May 2026, with original bank slips as proof, are eligible “to vote and be voted for.”
The Judiciary of Sierra Leone has declared a recess for the High Court and Magistrates’ Courts nationwide on Monday, 26 October, to allow for the SLBA Annual General Meeting. The meeting is scheduled for 3:00 pm at the Freetown International Conference Centre at Bintumani.
The election follows months of turmoil within the Bar. Mrs Gento-Kamara’s election at the disputed Kenema AGM in May 2024, where she won 506 votes, was rejected by her rivals. A subsequent attempt to hold the AGM on 31 July 2026 collapsed after police blocked members from entering the conference centre.
Following the collapse, an Extraordinary General Meeting presided over by Attorney-General Alpha Sesay elected the current five-member Caretaker Body, to which Mrs Gento-Kamara handed over leadership.
Seven positions are up for election: President, Vice President, General Secretary, Assistant Secretary General, Treasurer, Assistant Treasurer and Public Relations Officer. Nominations will be received at the meeting itself.
The current voter roll of 429 is significantly lower than the 572 ballots cast and 1,200 registered voters recorded at the 2024 AGM.
