Sierra Leone’s long awaited announcement of the final result of the Presidential Election was made on Tuesday 27 June 2023 at the Bintumani Hall, Aberdeen, Freetown, where the Electoral Commissioner of Sierra Leone, Mohamed kenewui Konneh, announced Julius Maada Bio as the winner of the Presidential election.
Mohamed Konneh said in exercise of the powers conferred on him by section 33, 42 (2)(E) and 38A (as amended) of the constitution of Sierra Leone, 1991 (Act No 6 of 1991) and pursuant to section 7 and 68 (1) of the Public Election Act 2022 (Act No.17 of 2022) the Electoral Commission for Sierra Leone (ECSL) conducted a Presidential Election on 24 June 2023.
Both the polls and tallying process were observed by political parties’ agents, various National and international observation missions /Groups, Embassies and the media.
He said that 11,712 polling station results were entered into the database, representing 98.98% of all polling station across the country. The National turnout is 2,800,691, representing 83% of all registered voters. The total number of valid votes cast is 2,789,808 and the total number of invalid votes cast is 10,883, representing 0.39% of the votes cast.
A total number of 120 polling stations were not entered into the result database, due to either being tampered with, and therefore quarantined at Regional tally centres or unavailability of result forms caused by violence at identified polling stations.
“Therefore by the powers vested in me as the National Returning Officer by section 67, 52(2) and 92(4) of the public Election Act 2022 (Act No.17 of 2022) and pursuant to section 42(2)(E) of the constitution of Sierra Leone 1991 (Act No.6 of 1991), I hereby certify that Bio Julius Maada, having polled 1,566,932 of valid votes cast, representing 56.17% of the total valid votes cast in the 24th June 2023 Presidential election, duly Elected President of the Republic of Sierra Leone;
He furthered that any Citizen who has lawfully voted in this election may challenge the validity of the said election of the President by petition to the Supreme Court of Sierra Leone within seven days after the declaration of Presidential result, pursuant to section 54(1) of the Public Election Act, 2022 (Act No. 17 of 2022).
