Margai, as the PMDC's candidate in August 2007 presidential election, received third place, behind Ernest Bai Koroma of the opposition All Peoples Congress (APC) and Solomon Berewa of the SLPP.
Furthermore, backing the APC would help to bridge the regional political divide marking Sierra Leone's politics (the SLPP and PMDC draw their main support from the south, while the APC draws its main support from the north), while backing the SLPP would deepen it.
[3] Margai's support for the APC provoked controversy in the PMDC, with some feeling that his decision was made without properly consulting the party.
All seats won by the party were in the Southern region, specifically in the Bo, Bonthe, Moyamba and Pujehun districts.
[8] The campaign struggled to gain traction as many Sierra Leonean's weren't willing to support Margai after he formed a political alliance with Ernest Bai Koroma and the All People's Congress in the 2012 General Election.