APC MPs walk out of Sierra Leone Parliament over constitutional amendment vote

Members of the opposition All People’s Congress (APC) staged a walkout from the Sierra Leone Parliament during a debate on the Constitution of Sierra Leone (Amendment) Bill, 2025. The protest follows a ruling by Speaker Solomon Thomas, who determined that the amendment process should proceed under a simple majority vote rather than the two-thirds majority required by Section 108 of the 1991 Constitution.

APC Leader Abdul Kargbo led 49 MPs out of the chamber after a 96–41 vote regarding the appointment of Electoral Commissioners. The opposition argues that the current voting procedure lacks constitutional validity. MP Ibrahim Barrie defended the walkout as a “principled stand,” noting that the threshold for constitutional changes should be based on the full membership of the legislature to prevent procedural manipulation.

Barrie further questioned the Speaker’s decision, pointing out a contradiction in referring the threshold issue to the Supreme Court after making a definitive parliamentary ruling. The APC maintains that they cannot participate in a process whose legal basis is under dispute.