Some people are worried after Moses Mambu, the National Publicity Secretary of the ruling SLPP, was reported saying something that sounded like elections could happen in 2028 or even 2030.
According to the reports, he said, “I said the election whether in 2028 or 2030…” That short remark has made many Sierra Leoneans uneasy. Some fear the government or the party might be thinking about pushing the next elections past 2028 and keeping President Julius Maada Bio in office longer.
But the constitution is clear. Under Section 46 of the 1991 Constitution, no one can be president for more than two five-year terms. Bio won in 2018 and again in 2023. His second term ends in 2028, and that is when the next general elections are supposed to take place.
State House, the Electoral Commission, and President Bio himself have all said the next presidential election is set for 2028. Bio has also publicly said he will not seek a third term.
Mambu’s reported words have drawn strong criticism, even from some people inside the SLPP. Critics say any talk of changing the election year risks damaging trust in the constitution and the democratic process.
This comes at a time when the government is pushing constitutional and electoral reforms. Some opposition voices and civil society groups are already suspicious of those changes, though the government insists the reforms are meant to strengthen democracy for 2028, not to extend anyone’s time in power.
In his recent public comments and interviews, Mambu has mostly talked about getting ready for the 2028 elections, keeping the party united, choosing the next flagbearer through a fair process, and the SLPP’s confidence that it will win that year. Major news coverage of his statements focuses on 2028 timelines. There is no clear, independent confirmation of the exact “2028 or 2030” words in recent reports.
The episode shows how sensitive people are about when Bio’s term ends and who comes next. As Sierra Leone gets closer to 2028, clear respect for the constitution’s timeline remains important for peace and public confidence.
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