Lies, Malice, Misogyny: The Ruthless Smear Campaign Against Dr. Ibrahim Bangura and Danke Koroma
At a time when Sierra Leone cries out for principled leadership and political renewal, it is deeply disheartening, though not surprising, to witness the familiar tactics of dishonour, deception rear their ugly heads in our national discourse. A malicious piece currently making rounds claims that Dr. Ibrahim Bangura is unfit to lead the APC, and that his candidacy is the product of nepotism, rooted in a supposed romantic relationship with Danke Koroma, the younger daughter of former President Ernest Bai Koroma.
This is not just a lie. It is a dangerous, and disgraceful fabrication.
Danke Koroma has never met Dr. Ibrahim Bangura, let alone pursued any romantic relationship with him. The claim is not only false; it is unintelligible, lacking even the flimsiest connection to reality. Those who peddle this lie insult the intelligence of the public and expose themselves as merchants of mischief.
To understand the depth of this deception, one must first examine the motivations. It is no secret that former President Ernest Bai Koroma (EBK) remains a towering figure in the APC. His endorsement, real or imagined, can tilt the balance of internal party dynamics. This has made him a prime target for envy, suspicion, and coordinated attacks. But instead of confronting EBK directly, his detractors have chosen a more cowardly route: targeting his daughter, a private citizen with no political aspirations, in a cruel effort to destabilize both her dignity and the legitimacy of Dr. Bangura’s campaign.
Danke Koroma’s only “crime”? Bearing the name of her father.
This is not politics. It is misogyny weaponized through propaganda. It is the kind of injustice that calls into question the very soul of our political culture.
Do these attackers not have sisters? Daughters? Would they stomach the dragging of their loved ones into political mudfights they neither started nor participated in? Where is their honour? Where is their conscience?
It is worth stating for the record that Danke Koroma, the younger daughter of EBK, is a dignified and accomplished young woman who lives far away from the noisy corridors of politics. Danke herself has no relationship, social, political, or romantic, with Dr. Ibrahim Bangura. Yet, because she bears a powerful surname, she has been repeatedly and unfairly dragged into the arena of APC’s internal power struggles.
This is not the first time Danke has been targeted. Whenever certain elements want to strike at EBK, they hide behind the veil of “strategy” and strike at his innocent daughter. It is cruel, cowardly, and beneath the values the APC claims to represent.
But let’s pause and ask a broader question: What kind of country are we becoming when young women: sisters, daughters, and wives, become political collateral?
This is more than just an attack on one woman or one man; it is a reflection of a political culture that is becoming increasingly toxic, gender-insensitive, and devoid of values. And if we do not reject this path, we will find ourselves under the rule of individuals who wield power without honour, without empathy, and without conscience.
Sierra Leone has suffered enough under leaders who confuse manipulation with leadership and mudslinging with strategy.
Danke Koroma, a young woman of dignity deserves to be left out of the malicious lies designed to destroy both her peace and her name.
To the public: beware of those who build their ambitions by tearing others down. If they are this ruthless without power, imagine what they will do with it.
It’s time to raise our political standard for our party, our daughters, and our country.