Commonwealth Secretary-General, the Rt Hon. Patricia Scotland KC has joined the United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres to extended congratulations to His Excellency President Dr. Julius Maada Bio on his re-election as President of Sierra Leone.
The Rt Hon. Patricia Scotland KC said: “My dear brother, I am not yet in receipt of the report from the Commonwealth Observer Mission which was chaired by the former Vice President of Nigeria, His Excellency Oluyemi Oluleke Osinbajo, but I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate and to wish you well for your second term in office following the elections held on 24th June.
“The Commonwealth Observer Group praised the people of Sierra Leone for the peaceful exercise of their democratic franchise and for the involvement of youth
in the process.
“As you begin your second term, and under your leadership, I pray the great nation of Sierra Leone and her people continue to deepen in peace, democracy and
sustainable development.
“The Commonwealth continues to stand with and support you and the people of Sierra Leone. As a family, together we continue to work to strengthen the Commonwealth values and principles throughout our countries and peoples”.
Earlier, the United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres extended congratulations to His Excellency Dr. Julius Maada Bio for his successful re-election as President of Sierra Leone.
The felicitations, on behalf of the entire United Nations, was delivered at the ECOWAS Summit during a live global broadcast.
Similar congratulations were also extended on behalf of the United Nations to Nigerian President His Excellency Ahmed Bola Tinubu on his election earlier this year whilst the United Nations promised to as well help support for similarly successful presidential elections to happen in Liberia later this year.
His Excellency Santos Simão thanked the Government of Sierra Leone for the successful conduct of the June 24th multi-tier elections.
Dr. Julius Maada Bio won a landslide victory in the June 24, 2023 general elections to be re-elected Sierra Leone’s president for a second term of five years.
The Electoral Commission for Sierra Leone (EC-SL) on Tuesday 27th June, announced at 4:20pm local time that President Dr. Julius Maada Bio of the Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) won 1,566,932 (56.17%) of a total of 2,789,808 valid ballots, beating out the ruling All People’s Congress candidate, Dr. Samura Mathew Wilson Kamara, who garnered 1,148,262 (41.16%).
His Excellency President Dr. Julius Maada Bio is again the Supreme Head of State and Grand Commander of the Order of the Republic, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Fountain Head of Unity, Honour, Freedom and Justice.
He first became President of Sierra Leone when he won the 2018 election and was inaugurated on May 12, 2018 as the 5th President of Sierra Leone.
Born on May 12, 1964 in Tihun, Sogbini chiefdom, Bonthe district, President Bio is one of 35 children born to Paramount Chief, Charlie Wonie Bio II, Sogbini chiefdom.
H.E. President Bio completed his primary, secondary and undergraduate education in Sierra Leone. Always driven by a passion to serve his country, H.E. President Bio started his illustrious public service journey as a school teacher before joining the Sierra Leone Army where he rose through the ranks as Brigadier.
He previously served as Chief Secretary of State, Chief of Defense Staff, Minister of Information, Minister of Marine Resources, Deputy Head of State, and ultimately as Head of State of Sierra Leone from January to March 1996.
As Head of State, President Bio presided over the conduct of the first democratic elections in Sierra Leone in nearly three decades. In Sierra Leone, Julius Maada Wonie Bio is popularly referred to as the “Father of Democracy” because of his outstanding contribution towards the restoration of democracy and attainment of peace in Sierra Leone.
President Bio is a well-known Philanthropist and Humanitarian through the work of the Maada and Fatima Bio Foundation. The Foundation donated food and other items to victims and families affected by the 2014 Ebola outbreak in Sierra Leone and during the environmental disasters of 2015.
Most recently, he was a Senior Research Fellow at the University of Bradford, United Kingdom, pursuing a doctorate programme in Peace Studies.
H.E. President Bio credits his mother, Mamie Amie, as the person from whom he acquired all his driving principles in life – calmness, hard worker, and a staunch believer in God.
