Freetown — He was revered. He had pedigree. He was a political warrior but he was never destined to win a presidential battle. "Finally, he is dead - Dr. John Karefa Smart," Osman Benk Sankoh sent me a text message as I heard Lansana Fofana's report on BBC Network Africa.

In the run-up to the 2002 presidential elections, a weird wrestling contest made headline news in the local media. Osman (I call him Benkilism) had never forgotten my contest with Dr. John Karefa Smart. With that contest etched in his memory, Benkilism had just one question for me: "Sulaiman, where is your tribute?"

Our people say the world is like a stage: we come, take some dance steps and moves, people cheer or jeer, and we leave the stage for other performers while we return to our Maker. After dancing on life's stage for more than 90 enviable years, Dr. Karefa-Smart's passing on to the spiritual realm certainly calls for celebration as he joins Sir Milton Margai and his brother Albert, his once political opponent Thaimu Bangura, APC former leaders Siaka Stevens, Joseph Saidu Momoh, and more.

In my view, Dr. Karefa-Smart was largely smart in name and in character. His hands in our country's independence and his ministerial appointments lend credence to this fact. While many people may, however, remember the late nonagenarian for various controversial reasons, I will always remember him for boldly inviting me to a contest.

My memory of the eminent son of the soil as a very young reporter in Makeni goes back to the 1996 elections. By the way, if there is any event I had enjoyed covering for which the Concord Times management gave me an award of a certificate and some cash, it was the 1996 elections. I practically followed every political party and their leaders and had interviews with them at the slightest opportunity.

There were both heavy weights and underdogs. However, for some presidential hopefuls whose campaign rallies were poorly attended and did not want to accept reality that they were just wasting their time, they did not like when I reported that only few people were present at their rallies - maybe a few friends and family members who were looking for "keep-pot-boiling" opportunities.

As the then northern region correspondent for the Concord Times, it was clear that late Thaimu Bangura of the People's Democratic Party (PDP) "Sorbeh" had a huge following; he was a formidable candidate. The Sierra Leone People's Party rally at Wusum stadium was not well attended but soft-spoken Tejan-Kabbah was quite impressive.

Among the presidential aspirants though, one man whose name campaigned for him was Dr. Karefa-Smart. He had a name from independence and there was even a legend about his head. It was believed that Dr. Karefa-Smart was so brilliant that the white man had bought it for examination when he dies. Well, now that he is being laid to rest in one piece with no white man coming to take his head away, the myth will be laid to rest as well.

Like a phoenix, the mythical bird that never dies, the return of the All People's Congress to power in 2007 confirms that in contemporary Sierra Leone, only the APC and the SLPP truly have the potential to win presidential and parliamentary elections.

Come to think of it, after awful APC was chased out of power, people celebrated the demise of the party and many thought it was truly over. Today, even some of those who used to badmouth the APC and had denied the party like Peter denied Christ, "I know Him not" (Luke 22:57), now sing the party's praises. But what makes Dr. Karefa-Smart standout from the crowd for which he should be remembered?

Apart from the APC and SLPP, Dr. Kerefa-Smart's United National People's Party (UNPP) (with the lamp symbol), is the only party in our country's recent history that had made impact at presidential and parliamentary elections. In the 1996 parliamentary elections, SLPP won 27 seats, UNPP 17, PDP 12 and the APC 5. After soliciting the support of Thaimu Bangura, Kabbah won the 1996 presidential run-off by about 59.49% while Dr. John Karefa-Smart got 40.49%.

In the run-up to the 2002 elections, I had face to face interview with Dr. Karefa-Smart. Disunity had ironically rocked the "United" party. At a press conference in downtown Freetown, Dr. Karefa-Smart was less convincing. He was frail and his voice trembled as he spoke to journalists and party supporters. Question time. My hand goes up. "You are very old, visibly exhausted, weak, tired, what are you still finding in politics?

Why can't you give the younger ones the opportunity?" I questioned. The tall politician calmly invited me to the stage. "Come! Come to the stage," he requested. To my utter surprise, Dr. Karefa-Smart declared a contest. Our fingers neatly interlocked and he invited me to push down his hand. My initial thought was to use all my meagre strength. But what if I won the contest? Worse still, what if I broke his fragile hands? With all thoughts bombarding my head, I allowed the old man to win as the jam packed hall erupted

into laughter. The 2002 elections was an emphatic victory for the SLPP with Tejan Kabbah winning 70% votes cast (Mark my words. No presidential candidate will get this percentage in years to come). Ernest Bai Koroma got about 22 % while Dr. Karefa-Smart got a miserable 1%. If only he had listened to me?

My understanding is that the SLPP actually wanted Karefa-Smart to lead the party in 1996 because his credibility but he turned down the offer. Like Charles Margai and his former school mate Solomon Berewa, Dr. Karefa-Smart was just not destined to be president but his contributions to the nation will be certainly remembered. As he rests in peace, I will always remember Dr. Karefa-Smart for inviting me to a contest. Rest in peace old one!

Sulaiman Momodu is currently based in Monrovia, Liberia.