Alhaji Samuel Tamba Sam-Sumana

Echoes of KoromaGovernment lawyers are understood to justify Maada Bio's removal of the Auditor-General from her post by citing President Koroma's summary dismissal of his vice-president Samuel Sam-Sumana in 2015 which Africa Confidential covered extensively at the time (AC Vol 56 No 19 Court rescues Koroma & Vol 56 No 6 Koroma lashes out)...

Foreigners got to know his name in November 2011 when Al Jazeera television filmed Konteh taking $2 000 in cash from an undercover reporter in Freetown and demanding another $50 000 for access to then Vice-President Samuel Sam-Sumana (AC Vol 53 No 16 Vice-President in loan row & Vol 53 No 17 The case against Sam-Sumana)...

An example came when he sacked his Vice-President Samuel Sam-Sumana in 2015 and appointed Victor Bockarie Foh in his place although the constitution does not permit on the principle of the separation of powers a president to sack a vice-president allowing only parliament that power (AC Vol 56 No 6 Koroma lashes out)...

Turnout keyVoter turnout made the difference: up in areas that voted for Bio in large numbers down in APC strongholds and allowing the SLPP to scoop up most of the first-round votes in Kono that went for Samuel Sam-Sumana whom the APC expelled in 2015...

Another new party the Coalition for Change headed by former Vice-President Samuel Sam-Sumana secured just over 3% mostly from his home district of Kono denying the APC and SLPP a boost from that swing district...

Into this already keen contest has emerged with much fanfare Samuel Sam-Sumana whose dismissal by the President in 2015 was rubber-stamped by the courts (AC Vol 56 No 6 Koroma lashes out)...

Friend of FohKoroma is now said to favour Victor Foh the Vice-President whom he was accused of appointing unconstitutionally after dismissing his predecessor Samuel Sam-Sumana in 2013 (AC Vol 56 No 19 Court rescues Koroma)...

The constitution already states that only parliament can remove either the President or his deputy from office but the Supreme Court upheld Koroma's sacking of Vice-President Samuel Sam-Sumana in a widely-disputed judgement last September (AC Vol 56 No 19 Court rescues Koroma)...

In a decision mourned in Freetown's legal and political circles alike the Supreme Court has ruled that President Ernest Bai Koroma did indeed have the power to sack his deputy Vice-President Samuel Sam-Sumana and appoint a successor last March (AC Vol 56 No 6 Koroma lashes out)...

A full explanation of why Vice-President Samuel Sam-Sumana was summarily removed from office in March has just emerged...

President Ernest Bai Koroma has removed Vice-President Samuel Sam-Sumana from office even though he does not apparently have the powers to do so...