Mr. Bio achieved a decisive victory by garnering more than 56 percent of the votes, eliminating the need for a runoff against his main competitor, Samura Kamara, who received approximately 41 percent of the votes.
At the age of 59, the president sought re-election
following a challenging first term of five years marked by inflation, a high
cost of living, and a weakened currency.
In accordance with electoral regulations, a
candidate must secure over 55 percent of the vote to win in the first round.
The election primarily revolved around a
head-to-head contest between President Bio, representing the Sierra Leone
People's Party (SLPP), and Samura Kamara, a 72-year-old former cabinet minister
who leads the opposition All People's Congress (APC) party.
The general elections were fraught with tension
and widespread uncertainty, particularly in the northern districts, which are
considered strongholds of the opposition.
On a Sunday, prior to the announcement of the
closely contested election results, the police in Sierra Leone deployed tear
gas at the APC headquarters in Freetown as voters awaited the outcome.
Mr. Kamara took to Twitter to claim that his
office within the party headquarters had been subjected to live ammunition.
However, the police issued a statement asserting that APC members had paraded
through Freetown, publicly declaring their victory in the election.
The Office of National Security had previously
cautioned party members against prematurely declaring election results,
emphasizing that such authority lies with the electoral commission.
In its preliminary observation report, the
European Union Election Observation Mission (EOM) in Sierra Leone highlighted
that the democratic process faced challenges due to violence and a lack of
transparency during crucial stages of the elections