Gambia Branch members of the All People’s Congress (APC) party of Sierra Leone have expressed profound satisfaction with a blithe heart over the recent reconciliation of their party bigwigs in Freetown who had been engaged in lawsuit over leadership of the party.

At the weekend, senior members of the APC party executive told the whole world over BBC that the lawsuit had been withdrawn from court, that bygones be bygones, that they had re-united as never before.

According to Mr Ibrahim Sillah, a leading founding member of the APC Gambia branch, the reconciliatory move has been taken not for peace for it, but out of understanding, for unity and progress of the party and, above all, out of love for their supporters and the people of Sierra Leone who will be going to the polls in July this year to elect a new president and parliamentarians to wield the affairs of the country.

Speaking to The Point at the weekend, Mr Sillah said: “The differences between some officials of the party have been solved and the lawsuit had been withdrawn from court and the officials concerned have signed a document to approve the leadership of Mr Ernest Bai Koroma, who is the current party Chairman and flagbearer for the July elections.

He further remarked: “We the founding members of the APC branch in The Gambia heartily congratulate Mr Ernest Bai Koroma for his perseverance and patience all these years in trying to bring his fellow member executives in the party together as one.

“We also congratulate Mr Eddie Touray (former Secretary General of the APC) for accepting the peace and harmony brokered between them. He has demonstrated that he is a true son of the soil and he is out to see the development of Sierra Leone and her people. Throughout the period of the differences in the party, he did not leave the party for another party. He has remained steadfast with the party.

“We congratulate the entire members, especially the executives of the party, for their understanding, resilience, hard work and determination to resolve the differences in the party and set out to win the forthcoming presidential and parliamentary elections in Sierra Leone.

“We also want to use the opportunity to congratulate all Sierra Leoneans in The Gambia for their understanding and support to the party through the branch in The Gambia. We want to assure all Sierra Leoneans in The Gambia, in Sierra Leone, and elsewhere, that come July 2007, Ernest Bai Koroma will be duly elected as the President of the Republic of Sierra Leone.

“We must sincerely register our heartfelt congratulations and warmest thanks and appreciation to the Government and people of the sister Republic of The Gambia, under the leadership of H.E. President Yahya Jammeh, for their hospitality and support to Sierra Leoneans in The Gambia.

“Long Live the APC! Long Live Ernest Bai Koroma! Long Live Sierra Leone! Backward Never, Forward Ever!”