All People’s Congress (APC) aspirant Abdul Osman Timbo has said he does not want to become Sierra Leone’s chief justice, making the remark during a discussion about the court controversy involving opposition politician Joseph Fitzgerald Kamara and Chief Justice Komba Kamanda.
Speaking on AYV’s State of the Nation, Timbo addressed the issue surrounding Kamara’s imprisonment for contempt of court, which has drawn attention to the relationship between judicial authority, court orders and the rights of individuals involved in legal proceedings.
“I don’t want to be the Chief Justice,” Timbo said during the program.
The remark came in the context of the controversy involving Kamara and the judiciary. The case has raised questions about the exercise of judicial powers and the consequences of conduct considered contemptuous of the court.
The controversy arose during Supreme Court proceedings on October 7 and 8 concerning the APC’s challenge to the passage of the Constitution of Sierra Leone Amendment Bill, 2025. Timbo was the party represented by Kamara in the case, while Kamanda presided over the proceedings.
Kamara was detained on October 8 after the court found his response to a demand for an apology and retraction inadequate. The Supreme Court subsequently discharged the contempt proceedings on Oct. 13 after accepting his apology and retraction. The separate constitutional challenge remains pending.
Timbo’s statement on AYV’s State of the Nation placed his remarks about the chief justice in the context of the high-profile courtroom dispute. The available excerpt, however, does not establish his full explanation for saying he did not want the position.