SLFA Elections heat-up: Incumbent, one other presidential candidate Disqualified from August 2, Race
By: Alusine Rehme Wilson
With just less than two weeks to go before the Sierra Leone Football Association (SLFA) heads to the polls, a major shakeup has hit in the local football federation's presidential race, as the SLFA Ethics Committee announces the disqualification of two of the four presidential candidates from contesting in the upcoming August 2 Elective Congress.
Among those disqualified is the current SLFA president, Thomas Daddy Brima, as well as Aminata Bangura, the only female candidate in the race.
The news about thier disqualification was made public in a list circulated to members of the football community on Friday, July 18 that was signed by Abu-Bakarr Sheriff, Chairperson of the SLFA Ethics Committee.
No reasons were officially given for the disqualifications in the correspondence, and the Ethics Committee has yet to make a public statement explaining the decision.
However, the other two presidential hopefuls, Babadi Kamara, Chairman of Bo Rangers and Umaro Bah, Chairman of Real Republicans and Sierra Leone's National Men's football team (Leone Stars) Manager have been cleared to contest.
In addition, the 12 other candidates vying for the Vice President (both VP1 and VP2), as well as those running for various Executive Committee positions, have also been approved to participate in the election scheduled to take place in Lungi, Port Loko District.
Meanwhile, the two disqualified presidential candidates are not taking the decision lightly. While Aminata Bangura is expected to appeal her exclusion to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), the incumbent SLFA ptresident Brima who's seeking re-election has written to the SLFA’s Acting General Secretary, calling for the elections to be halted entirely.
In his letter, Brima strongly claims there have been serious violations of the SLFA Statutes and the official electoral roadmap.
Responding to the growing tension, Ibrahim Kamara, SLFA’s Head of Media and Marketing, confirmed the authenticity of the Ethics Committee’s letter in an interview with AWE-Media on Sunday evening.
However, he stated that there has been no official decision to postpone or cancel the election.
"I can confirm that the letter being circulated is indeed from the SLFA Ethics Committee, but I cannot confirm whether the federation is planning to halt the electoral process. The Electoral Committee has not spoken on this matter yet. Until they do, the election date stands," Kamara said.
As the clock ticks down to August 2, football fans and stakeholders alike now wait to see how these developments will impact the future leadership of the SLFA.
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