By Foday Moriba Conteh

The National Secretary General of the All People’s Congress, Lansana Dumbuya, issued a formal statement to the Criminal Investigations Department of the Sierra Leone Police, clarifying remarks he made in connection with the country’s 2023 general elections and firmly rejecting any suggestion of criminal intent.

In the statement dated 4 February 2026, Lansana Dumbuya explained that comments attributed to him on or about 31 January 2026 were political opinions expressed in good faith and grounded in publicly available reports by both domestic and international election observation bodies. He stated that the remarks were made within the context of ongoing national discourse concerning the conduct, transparency and outcome of the 2023 elections.

According to Lansana Dumbuya, the position he articulated was neither personal nor novel, but rather a long-standing and consistently maintained stance of the All People’s Congress. He noted that since the conclusion of the 2023 elections, the party has repeatedly raised concerns through lawful political channels regarding aspects of the electoral process, including allegations that the results did not fully reflect the will of the people.

He further emphasized that his comments were made strictly within the framework of constitutional democratic engagement and political discourse, stressing that the All People’s Congress has communicated its concerns through public statements and engagements with both national and international stakeholders.

Lansana Dumbuya also drew attention to what he described as the continued absence of comprehensive, transparent and disaggregated official election results. He stated that, to the best of his knowledge, such results were not conclusively published following the elections, an issue he said remains a central subject of public debate both within Sierra Leone and among international partners.

“In light of these unresolved issues, the position of the All People’s Congress remains unchanged,” the statement said, adding that the concerns expressed reflect widely held views among citizens, civil society actors and political stakeholders, and continue to feature prominently in discussions on electoral integrity and democratic accountability.

The National Secretary General categorically rejected any suggestion that his statements were made with malice or criminal intent. He maintained that political parties and citizens have constitutional rights to express opinions on governance and elections, provided such expressions do not promote violence or hatred.

In a further clarification, Lansana Dumbuya reaffirmed that while he stands by his position as a political opinion based on public reports and unresolved electoral concerns, he does not endorse any interpretation that suggests violence, hatred or criminal conduct.

“I remain fully committed to peace, the rule of law and the use of lawful and democratic means to address political disagreements,” he stated.

Despite this stated commitment, Lansana Dumbuya disclosed that he had been detained by the Inspector General of Police in connection with what he described as engagement in normal democratic discourse. He was, however, released from police custody on 5 February 2026 and was received by a group of jubilant All People’s Congress supporters outside the precinct of the Criminal Investigations Department Headquarters on Pademba Road.

The statement was copied to international moral guarantors, development partners, the Peace Commission, the Economic Community of West African States, the African Union and the Commonwealth.

The development has intensified national and international attention on post-election governance, political freedoms and democratic accountability in Sierra Leone. https://thecalabashnewspaper.com/apc-secretary-general-lansana-dumbuya-released-from-police-custody/