Hundreds of Sierra Leone People's Party (SLPP) supporters convened in Potoru Town, Barri Chiefdom, Pujehun District, for an EBEMA Gbi community engagement, marking the latest expansion of the grassroots movement associated with First Lady Fatima Maada Bio into the country's southern heartland.

The gathering, which drew supporters from across the chiefdom and surrounding areas,including Ngolala town, forms part of a broader nationwide mobilisation effort under the EBEMA Gbi banner, a Mende phrase translating to "it will not happen again" or "impossible". The movement has been steadily establishing structures in districts across Sierra Leone, with previous launches held in Gendema Township, also in Pujehun District, where the First Lady officially introduced the ideology in May 2026.

The event follows a pattern of community level mobilisation that EBEMA Gbi organisers have described as focused on grassroots empowerment, promoting government achievements, and countering misinformation. Deputy Speaker of Parliament Ibrahim Tawa Conteh, who serves as National Coordinator of the movement, has previously clarified that EBEMA Gbi is a "people-driven movement" aimed at mobilising grassroots support and promoting the SLPP's record.

The choice of Barri Chiefdom as a venue carries symbolic weight. Potoru, the chiefdom's headquarters, is a historic administrative and commercial centre in Pujehun District, a region that has consistently formed part of the SLPP's political base. The engagement in Potoru signals the movement's intention to consolidate support in the south ahead of the 2028 electoral cycle.

Supporters at the event were expected to hear messages reinforcing the First Lady's rallying cry, which she has deployed at similar gatherings: "EBEMA GBI! From East to West, North to South we continue the journey together". That message has been paired with admonitions for party members to remain "focused" and "united," with Fatima Bio declaring that "elections are not won on Election Day, and politics is not for the faint-hearted".

The EBEMA Gbi movement has become a focal point of internal SLPP dynamics, with supporters speculating that it is positioning the First Lady as a potential flagbearer for the 2028 presidential election,a development that has heightened tensions within the ruling party. The First Lady has not formally declared her candidacy, but her public engagements under the EBEMA banner have fuelled sustained speculation about her political ambitions.

The Potoru engagement is expected to be followed by further community-level activities in the district and beyond, as the movement continues its stated objective of direct engagement with voters at the grassroots level.