Sierra Leone's president wins second term without need for runoff, election commission announces

FREETOWN, Sierra Leone — Sierra Leonean President Julius Maada Bio has won a second term in office, receiving 56.17% of ballots cast and narrowly clearing the threshold for avoiding a runoff in the West African nation, electoral officials said Tuesday.

Main opposition candidate Samura Kamara immediately disputed the results showing he had received 41.16% of the vote in Saturday's election.

“It is a sad day for our beloved country,” Kamara tweeted after the announcement. “It is a frontal attack on our fledgling democracy. These results are NOT credible and I categorically reject the outcome so announced by the electoral commission.”

To win in the first round of voting and avoid a runoff, the top contender had to secure 55% of the vote. Bio acknowledged his victory in a tweet Tuesday evening, saying he was “extremely humbled and immensely thankful for your overwhelming vote of confidence.”

“This victory is for Sierra Leone, as we have once again demonstrated that though our tongues, tribes and political persuasions might differ, we are united in our desire to see The Land That We Love, #SierraLeone, prosper,” Bio tweeted.

Supporters of both parties had claimed to have won in recent days, with Kamara saying earlier that he was on an “irreversible path to an overwhelming victory.” He also alleged that security forces had opened fire Sunday on a celebration at his party's headquarters, though police denied having fired live bullets.

Bio previously defeated Kamara in the 2018 presidential election, promising to end rampant corruption. Analysts say Bio has invested in improving education and also has taken steps to fight rampant corruption. At the beginning of this year, he signed a landmark women’s rights bill.

But the weak economy eventually propelled Sierra Leoneans into the streets to protest widespread poverty. Nearly 60% of Sierra Leone’s population of more than 7 million are facing poverty, with youth unemployment being one of the highest in West Africa.