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Popular female journalist and politician of the main opposition All Peoples Congress (APC) party, Sylvia Olayinka Blyden has on Friday, January 16, 2026, publicly claimed that she exposed Freetown Mayor Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr’s alleged British citizenship and the collapse of companies linked to the mayor in the United Kingdom, arguing that these issues disqualify Aki-Sawyerr from seeking the All People’s Congress (APC) presidential candidacy.
Speaking in a detailed statement circulated to the media, Blyden said she raised concerns during a broadcast on Truth Media after conducting what she described as an investigation in London. According to Blyden, her review of records at the United Kingdom Companies Register showed that two personal companies linked to Mayor Aki-Sawyerr became insolvent under her leadership.
Blyden said she shared her findings with Amadu Lamrana Bah, the Head of Truth Media, and used her appearance on his Media outlet to publicly question Aki-Sawyerr’s eligibility to contest for the APC presidential ticket. She claimed that at the same time, Mayor Aki-Sawyerr appeared on Liberty TV to respond to the allegations.
“It was after I exposed Mayor Yvonne to Amadu Lamrana Bah that my journalism investigations showed that Yvonne is actually a British citizen,” Blyden said, adding that Aki-Sawyerr later confirmed on Liberty TV that she holds British citizenship. Blyden described this confirmation as the first public admission by the mayor on the matter.
In her statement, Blyden alleged that holding British citizenship makes Aki-Sawyerr ineligible to contest for the APC presidential candidacy. She further claimed that court proceedings in London were entered against companies linked to the mayor due to insolvency and unpaid debts, which she attributed to poor financial management.
Blyden also raised questions about Mayor Aki-Sawyerr’s finances after returning to Sierra Leone, alleging that the mayor left unpaid debts in the United Kingdom before later acquiring what she described as luxurious property in Sierra Leone. She questioned the source of the funds used to acquire such assets.
Throughout her statement, Blyden used strong language to accuse Mayor Aki-Sawyerr of financial misconduct, both in the United Kingdom and at the Freetown City Council. She argued that these allegations, combined with the citizenship issue, make Aki-Sawyerr unfit to serve as president.
As of the time of this report, Mayor Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr has not issued a detailed response addressing all of Blyden’s claims beyond her on-air confirmation regarding British citizenship referenced by Blyden. No independent documents were presented by Blyden alongside her statement to publicly verify the claims concerning company insolvency or unpaid debts.
