APC MP to challenge passage of Constitutional Amendment Bill in Supreme Court
By Jennifer B. S. Bangura and Fatmata A. Sesay
Hon. Osman Abdal Timbo, an All People’s Congress (APC) Member of Parliament, has told SLIK TV that he intends to file a lawsuit at the Supreme Court challenging the procedure used to pass the Constitutional Amendment Bill, 2025.
The bill was passed by Parliament on Monday, August 10, 2026, despite a walkout by lawmakers from the main opposition APC.
Speaking on SLIK TV’s Breakfast Show on August 11, Hon. Timbo said he would seek formal judicial clarification on whether the legislative process followed in approving the bill was consistent with the provisions of Sierra Leone’s 1991 Constitution.
The parliamentary session ended in a tense standoff. APC MPs walked out of the chamber, accusing the Speaker of Parliament of misinterpreting and misapplying Section 108 of the 1991 Constitution.
The APC maintains that any constitutional amendment strictly requires a two-thirds majority vote from all sitting Members of Parliament.
The Speaker rejected the opposition’s interpretation, overrode the objection, and permitted the vote to proceed to final passage.
The newly passed legislation introduces sweeping changes to the Sierra Leone electoral and political architecture.
The presidential thresholds lowers the required vote share for a first-round presidential victory from 55 percent to a simple majority of over 50 percent. However, the winning candidate must also secure at least 20 percent of the vote in two-thirds of the country’s districts. A runoff will be triggered if a candidate fails to meet both criteria.
The law also establishes proportional representation as the permanent system for parliamentary elections, fully replacing the traditional first-past-the-post system, mandates that political parties allocate a minimum of 30 percent of their candidate nominations to women.
On Sunday, prior to the Parliamentary proceedings and enactment of the amendment bill, President Julius Maada Bio urged lawmakers to pass the reforms, framing them as the conclusion of a constitutional review process initiated over two decades ago following the civil war.
Attorney-General Alpha Sesay defended the bill on the parliament floor, arguing it transitions Sierra Leone from a “constitution designed for survival toward one focused on progress and fairness.
While the APC explicitly supports the 30 percent gender quota and provisions allowing dual citizens to hold political office, the party remains fiercely opposed to lowering the presidential victory threshold and making proportional representation permanent.
Following the contentious vote, Parliament adjourned until October 29, 2026.
