On January 31, 2026, Lansana Dumbuya, Secretary-General of the All People’s Congress (APC), Sierra Leone’s main opposition party, delivered a public address to supporters at Atouga Stadium in Freetown. Authorities later said remarks made during the gathering breached political communication standards.
On February 2, 2026, the Political Parties Regulation Commission (PPRC) fined the APC NLe 350,000 (US$14,300) over comments made by party member Zainab Sheriff and similar statements attributed to Dumbuya. The Commission ruled that the remarks violated political communication guidelines and set February 10 as the deadline for payment.
Dumbuya was subsequently detained on February 4 by the police and released the following day, February 5, in connection with the same remarks. Ahead of the February 10 deadline for the APC fine, PPRC Chairman Emmanuel Koivaya Amara stated in an interview on Truth FM that failure to pay would result in the party’s suspension. “Today is their last day; if they don’t pay before the close of business today, by 8:30 tomorrow, the PPRC will suspend the party,” he said in remarks delivered in Krio and translated into English.
When the APC failed to pay the fine by the stipulated deadline, the PPRC proceeded to suspend the party. The APC subsequently paid the NLe 350,000 (US$14,300) administrative fine on February 11. Shortly after, the Commission issued a statement confirming receipt of the full payment.
Separately, on February 12, Dumbuya was formally charged at Pademba Road Court No. 1 in Freetown with three counts: incitement, insulting conduct, and public insult against the President, contrary to Section 12(a) of the Public Order Act of 1965, as amended. He was arraigned before Principal Magistrate Mustapha Braima Jah and remanded to the Pademba Road Male Correctional Centre.
Defense counsel Sulaiman Kabba-Koroma applied for bail under the Criminal Procedure Act of 2024, arguing that Dumbuya was not a flight risk. State prosecutor Yusuf Isaac Sesay opposed the application, citing the seriousness of the offences and the risk of similar conduct. Magistrate Braima Jah declined to grant bail at that stage and adjourned the matter to February 16.
Proceedings on February 16 were halted after the presiding magistrate cited security concerns amid a large and reportedly tense courtroom presence. More than 100 APC-affiliated lawyers were said to be in attendance. The magistrate limited representation to 15 lawyers, prompting objections from the defence, who argued that no statutory cap exists on the number of counsel a defendant may retain.
As tensions escalated, the magistrate left the courtroom and suspended proceedings. Defense lawyer Joseph Fitzgerald Kamara later stated that Dumbuya was removed from the court premises following the adjournment. While a new hearing date has not been formally announced, the matter is expected to resume on February 19.
The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) is closely monitoring developments surrounding the arrest, prosecution and continued remand of Lansana Dumbuya over alleged incitement and related offences.
