General elections were held in Sierra Leone

Sierra Leone

Sierra Leone , officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Guinea to the north and east, Liberia to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west and southwest. Sierra Leone covers a total area of and has an estimated population between 5.4 and 6.4...

 on 17 March 1967. They were won by the opposition All People's Congress

All People's Congress

The All People's Congress is one of the two major political parties in Sierra Leone, the other is the Sierra Leone People's Party . The party was founded in 1960 by Pa Mucktarru Kallay, Allieu Badarr Koroma,Alhaji Sheik Gibril Sesay C A Kamara-Taylor, S A T Koroma and Abu Bakarr S Bangura...

, marking the first time that a ruling party had lost an election in sub-Saharan Africa

Sub-Saharan Africa

Sub-Saharan Africa as a geographical term refers to the area of the African continent which lies south of the Sahara. A political definition of Sub-Saharan Africa, instead, covers all African countries which are fully or partially located south of the Sahara...

 (excluding white-ruled South Africa

South Africa

The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...

 and Southern Rhodesia

Southern Rhodesia

Southern Rhodesia was the name of the British colony situated north of the Limpopo River and the Union of South Africa. From its independence in 1965 until its extinction in 1980, it was known as Rhodesia...

). However, a military coup prevented the APC from taking power until a counter-coup in 1968.

Background

Although the Sierra Leone People's Party

Sierra Leone People's Party

Sierra Leone People's Party is one of the two major political parties in Sierra Leone, along with the All People's Congress .-Formation:...

 had won the previous elections

Sierra Leonean general election, 1962

General elections were held in Sierra Leone in May 1962, just over a year after the country gained independence from the United Kingdom. The first to be held under universal suffrage, they were won by the ruling Sierra Leone People's Party, although his party received less votes than independent...

 in 1962, it had become increasingly unpopular, in part due to Albert Margai

Albert Margai

Sir Albert Michael Margai was the second prime minister of Sierra Leone and the half-brother of Sir Milton Margai, the country's first Prime Minister...

's unsuccessful attempts to convert the country into a one-party state

Single-party state

A single-party state, one-party system or single-party system is a type of party system government in which a single political party forms the government and no other parties are permitted to run candidates for election...

, accusations of corruption, and an attempt to prevent opposition parties running against him and three other SLPP candidates.

There was also an ethnic dimension to the elections; the SLPP tended to be supported by the Mende

Mende people

The Mende people are one of the two largest and most dominant ethnic group in Sierra Leone, along with the Temne. The Mende make up 30% of Sierra Leone's total population or 1,932,015 members...

, Sherbro

Sherbro people

The Sherbro people are a native people of Sierra Leone, who speak the Sherbro language; they make up 3% of Sierra Leone's population or about 201,000. They are also known as the Bullom people...

 and Fula

Fula people

Fula people or Fulani or Fulbe are an ethnic group spread over many countries, predominantly in West Africa, but found also in Central Africa and Sudanese North Africa...

, whilst the APC was more popular amongst the Temne, Susu

Susu people

The Soso are a major Mande ethnic group living primarily in Guinea. Smaller communities are also located in the neighboring countries of Sierra Leone, Senegal and Mali. The Susu are descendants of the thirteenth century Mali Empire...

, Loko

Loko people

The Loko are one of the indigenous ethnic groups in Sierra Leone. They speak a Mande language that is also called Loko. The majority of the Loko people live in or around the capital city of Freetown and in the Northern Province of the country, particularly in Port Loko District. The Loko were among...

, Mandinka

Mandinka people

The Mandinka, Malinke are one of the largest ethnic groups in West Africa with an estimated population of eleven million ....

 and Creoles

Sierra Leone Creole people

The Sierra Leone Creoles, or Krios, are an ethnic group in Sierra Leone, descendants of West Indian slaves from the Caribbean, primarily from Jamaica; freed African American slaves from the Thirteen Colonies resettled from Nova Scotia; and Liberated Africans from various parts of Africa...

. Antagonism towards the SLPP had grown due to the Margai's promotion of several Mendes to prominent positions with the country's civil service and the fact that the group were beginning to dominate the country's army.

Results

Party	Votes	%	Seats	+/-
All People's Congress All People's Congress The All People's Congress is one of the two major political parties in Sierra Leone, the other is the Sierra Leone People's Party . The party was founded in 1960 by Pa Mucktarru Kallay, Allieu Badarr Koroma,Alhaji Sheik Gibril Sesay C A Kamara-Taylor, S A T Koroma and Abu Bakarr S Bangura...	279,515	44.9	32	+16
Sierra Leone People's Party Sierra Leone People's Party Sierra Leone People's Party is one of the two major political parties in Sierra Leone, along with the All People's Congress .-Formation:...	230,999	37.1	28	0
Independents	111,936	18.0	6	-8
Indirectly elected paramount chiefs	-	-	12	0
Total	622,650	100	78	+4
Source: Nohlen et al

Aftermath

Although Governor-General Henry Josiah Lightfoot Boston

Henry Josiah Lightfoot Boston

Sir Henry Josiah Lightfoot Boston was a Sierra Leonean diplomat and politician. He was the first indigenous Governor-General of Sierra Leone...

 swore in APC leader Siaka Stevens

Siaka Stevens

Siaka Probyn Stevens was the 3rd prime minister of Sierra Leone from 1967–1971 and the 1st president of Sierra Leone from 1971–1985. Stevens is generally criticised for dictatorial methods of government in which many of his political opponents were executed, as well as for mismanaging...

 as the country's new Prime Minister

Heads of government of Sierra Leone

The following is a list of heads of government of Sierra Leone from 1954 until 1978, when a single party constitution was adopted, and President of Sierra Leone became head of government as well.-Heads of Government of Sierra Leone:-See also:...

 on 21 March, a military coup took place a few hours later. Led by David Lansana

David Lansana

Brigadier David Lansana was one of the very few Sierra Leoneans to be educated at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, England during the colonial period. As Lieutenant David Lansana he was a frequent and popular visitor to the home of Sir Robert de Zouche Hall, Governor of Sierra Leone...

, the army put both Stevens and Boston under house arrest on the grounds that the determination of office should await the election of the tribal representatives to the house. Lansana himself was overthrown on 23 March by a group led Andrew Juxon-Smith

Andrew Juxon-Smith

Brigadier Andrew Terence Juxon-Smith was a politician and military official in Sierra Leone. He was briefly Chairman of the National Reformation Council and acting Governor-General, equivalent to head of the Sierra Leonean state...

 which named themselves the National Reformation Council

National Reformation Council

The National Reformation Council, or NRC, was a group of senior military officers with Brigadier Andrew Juxon-Smith as its chairman, who seized control of the Sierra Leone government on March 23, 1968...

, suspended the country's constitution and also placed Margai under arrest. However, on 18 April 1968 there was a "sergeants' revolt" by the Anti-Corruption Revolutionary Movement led by John Amadu Bangura

John Amadu Bangura

Brigadier John Amadu Bangura was the acting Governor-General of Sierra Leone from 18 April 1968 until 22 April 1968. He led the Sargents Coup in 1968 that successfully re-instated civilian rule in Sierra Leone.- Early life :...

. NRC members were imprisoned, and other army and police officers deposed. Stevens was allowed to assume the office of Prime Minister under the restored constitution.