Abass Chernor Bundu (born 1948 in Gbinti, Port Loko District) is a Sierra Leonean politician, diplomat, and the current Speaker of the Sierra Leone House of Parliament, in office since April 25, 2018 . Bundu was elected speaker by receiving 70 votes in Parliament. The main opposition the All People's Congress, which won the most seats in Parliament, boycotted the election process in protest and did not nominate a candidate for speaker . Bundu is a veteran politician, and a very close ally and personal friend of Sierra Leone"s president Julius Maada Bio Before being elected speaker, Bundu was the northern regional chairman of the Sierra Leone People's Party (SLPP). He is one of the most senior and one of the most influential members of the ruling Sierra Leone People's Party Bundu is the older brother of Ibrahim Bundu, a member of Parliament of the main opposition All People's Congress. From 1989 to 1993, Bundu was the executive secretary of the Economic Community of West African States. Bundu was the head of several ministries in Sierra Leone, including Foreign Affairs and Agriculture. He was the presidential candidate of the now defunct Progressive People's Party (PPP) in the 1996 Sierra Leone presidential election, where he was defeated in the first round of voting after winning 2.9% of the votes. Bundu holds a Bachelor of Laws degree from the Australian National University and both a Master of Laws and a PhD in International Law from the University of Cambridge in England. Early life Abass Chernor Bundu was born in the rural town of Gbinti, Port Loko District in the Northern Province of Sierra Leone. Bundu was born into a prominent Bundu Family who are of Fula and Temne descents. Abass Bundu grew up in a deeply religious Muslim household and he is a devout Muslim. Education Bundu attended the St. Andrews Secondary School in Bo, the Methodist Boys' High School in Freetown and the St. Edward's Secondary School also in Freetown. While in secondary school, Bundu was a very brilliant student and he was highly admired by his fellow students and teachers. Immediately after secondary school, Bundu left Sierra Leone as a youth and moved abroad to further his education. He holds a Bachelor of Laws degree from the Australian National University and both a Master of Laws and a PhD in International Law from the University of Cambridge, England. He is