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Sierra Leone’s First Lady, Dr. Fatima Bio, has publicly challenged Dr. Sylvia Olayinka Blyden to formally declare her intention to contest for the All People’s Congress (APC) Party’s flagbearer position, saying such a move would be good for democracy and for women in the country.
Dr. Bio made the remarks during a recent media engagement, where she spoke openly for the first time about her long-standing personal relationship with Dr. Blyden. According to the First Lady, their relationship spans more than 25 years and dates back to their time in The Gambia.
She recalled that Dr. Blyden first visited her home in 2002, where she openly shared her ambition to one day enter politics. Dr. Bio said the aspiration stood out at a time when very few women openly expressed political ambitions.
The First Lady stressed that there has never been any personal conflict between them. She explained that when both women later became active in politics but aligned with different political parties, they mutually agreed to separate their personal relationship from partisan politics. This, she said, was done out of respect for each other’s political paths.
Dr. Bio noted that she knew Dr. Blyden long before many members of the Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) did, describing her as someone who had consistently carried the dream of national leadership.
Focusing on the issue of leadership ambition, the First Lady said Dr. Blyden has not yet officially declared her intention to contest for a flagbearer position, but has only stated that she is considering it. She said the absence of a formal declaration is the reason no public support has yet been shown.
“Sylvia has not come out yet and say she’s going to contest for the flagbearer, she said she is considering,” Dr. Bio said during the interview. She added, “The day Sylvia come out and say I am going to contest, let her see what I would do, but she hasn’t done it yet, and I am actually pushing her to do it because it would be a good thing for democracy and women of this country.”
Dr. Bio’s comments place public attention on Dr. Blyden to move from consideration to a clear declaration, framing such a decision as a positive step for inclusive politics and women’s participation in national leadership.
