At the local government election in Ward 369 held on Saturday 14th January 2012 the Sierra Leone Peoples Party (SLPP) has come out victorious winning by 16 votes.
Four Political parties contested this election with Abdul Tarawally representing the ruling All Peoples Congress party (APC), Mohamed Kanu Mansaray (SLPP), Alhaji M.I. King United Democratic Movement (UDM) and Ousman Kanu National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
According to Miatta French NEC Commissioner, voting started at the stipulated time which is 9 am and all political party representatives were in their various polling stations before voting commenced. She disclosed that she had earlier on stated that voters who have lost their voters I.D. Cards should go to the police to get police clearance that will enable them to vote, “but I don’t know what is happening at the closure of polling stations that parties representatives are saying that voters with police clearance should not vote,” Miatta French noted.
She maintained that initially they stated that the date for the police clearance should be on the 9th January, but people are coming with clearance that are dated 10th, 11th, 12th and even 13th, adding that the police stated that the reasons for such happenings is that they were having some mechanical problems on the 9th.
The atmosphere of the election was nothing good to write home about as supporters of both the APC and SLPP were using abusive language at one another at the start of voting. The situation intensified with the arrival of major party representatives from both the APC and the SLPP.
In ensuring voting went on peacefully, the Sierra Leone Police Force were able to secure the entrances at all three polling centres where voting was going on, despite the fact that there were severe violence going on within the Fourah Bay community especially around the residence of the SLPP Chairman Mr. Abdul Aziz Carew in constituency 104 and the residence of Tunde Lewaly APC member of Parliament in constituency 104.
At the end of the counting of all the twelve polling stations in the three polling centers, Mohamed Kanu-Mansaray (SLPP) polled 423 votes whilst Abdul Tarawallie (APC) polled 407 votes, Alhaji M.I. King of the United Democratic Movement (UDM) polled 27 votes and Ousman Kanu of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) polled 14 votes. The Peoples Movement for Democratic Change (PMDC) did not take part in the election.

Despite the fact that the All Political Parties Youth Association (APPYA) were doing their best in preaching peace messages to the electorates at ward 369 whilst they were voting last Saturday, yet still political parties supporters went on the rampage perpetrating violent which led to the unrest within the Fourah Bay Community.
It all started when big heads among the APC and SLPP who were not residing in that community went and made an attempt to enter in one of the Lora Dove Secondary School polling center at Dan Street, but they were prevented from entering and even the SLPP candidate Mohamed Kanu-Mansaray was prevented from entering the center.
Lansana Fadika, Alhaji Unisa Alim Sesay (all APC), Manso Dumbuya, Alie Bangura, Alhaji U.N.S. Jah, Sulaiman Banja Tejan-Sie (all SLPP) and Mohamed Bangura (UDM) among others were the ones that were around when the riot started.
According to eye witness Lansana Fadika was talking with his supporters along Canton Street in Fourah Bay when a man popularly known as Pastor came pretending to wipe Fadika’s shoe when he (Pastor) removed a knife from his pocket and stabbed Fadika on his right leg. Residents disclosed that Pastor ran and entered the house of Abdul Aziz Carew chairman of SLPP in constituency 104 and subsequently Fadika’s supporters went after him. However with the timely intervention of the police, Pastor was arrested.
“As far as I am concern the tension here today is uncalled for because in a decent democracy this kind of tension is not nice, especially of the fact that we have arrested four people with knives which is a cause for concern. Politics is not a war as youth are moving around with knives attempting to stab others, but we are on top of control,” ASP Ibrahim Samura told journalists.
He disclosed that if someone does not live within that community, he sees no need for them to be there as he saw many people who are not residents of that community as the elections were going on. He added that for him those people have different intentions. He maintained that politicians should be advising their supporters rather than inspiring them to engage in violence.
Before the closing of the polling station at Lora Dove School, Alusine Fofanah, SLPP polling agent was caught with a knife which he claimed was picked on the floor, but the police were saying that they had been informed that he had a knife long before the arrest.
Mohamed Kanu Mansaray, SLPP candidate was seen with a bandage which according to Fatmata Sawaneh was as a result of a fracture sustained during the riot.
In a bid to calm tempers the riot police personnel fired tear gas canisters at Canton Street to separate the rioters.
Meanwhile Lansana Fadika former (SLPP) Western Area Chairman now APC and Ibrahim Lewally uncle of the Member of Parliament of constituency 104 were hospitalized traced to the Davidson Nichol Hospital along Wilkinson Road West of the capital where they gave their own version of the events.
Fadika sustained serious leg injury and received 12 stitches, (six stitches internally and six externally) at the Connaught Hospital whilst Lewally sustained major head injuries and is in serious pain.
While lying on his hospital bed, Fadika explained that he went to the constituency to mobilize people to come out and vote. He said that though he was not a voter and a resident in that constituency, his ultimate aim was to mobilize people to come out and vote and to see a peaceful election.
He stated that he visited some of the voting centres and people were very happy to see him. He reiterated that coming from Davies street, he spotted a group of supporters of the SLPP allegedly led by Aziz Carew who passed them abruptly, adding that he cautioned him not to behave in such a manner.
He said whilst they were talking to Aziz he bent down on his knees in front of him as if he wanted to apologize to him but instead drew out a horn and stabbed him on his right leg.
He explained that he was taken to the PCMH Hospital but was refused treatment by the nurses though he was bleeding.
Fadika maintained that he was rushed to the Connaught Hospital where he was treated.
Lewally explained that he was returning home after casting his vote when he was allegedly attacked by supporters of the SLPP led by one Aziz Carew who is SLPP Chairman of that constituency.
He added that as he was approaching the supporters he was pointed out and suddenly he was hit with a ladder. Lewally reiterated that he was overcome by the supporters and was stabbed with a cutlass on his head.
“My phone and money was taken away from me,” he said, adding that at the time of the incident there was no Police presence.
Lewally stated that he was rushed to the Connaught Hospital where he was treated after which he was then transferred to the Davidson Nicol Hospital.
Nanette Thomas National Coordinator Attitudinal and Behavioural Change (ABC) Secretariat said that this incident saddens her because this is just one election and violence has started to happen. She added that one will wonder what will happen during the November elections.
By Abibatu Kamara & Alhaji M. Kamara