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Prominent political figure Sylvia Olayinka Blyden has ignited a fresh debate over political accountability in Sierra Leone after releasing a 2023 photograph of recently jailed All People’s Congress (APC) activist Zainab Sheriff and Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) figure Kadiru Kaikai.
In a public statement over the weekend, Blyden used the photograph and the political histories of both figures to sharply criticize the APC’s leadership for its handling of Sheriff’s recent incitement scandal, contrasting it with the ruling SLPP’s swift disciplinary action against Kaikai in 2024.
The controversy centers on two distinct incidents of inflammatory political rhetoric and how the respective parties managed the fallout.
Earlier this month, on April 14, 2026, Zainab Sheriff—an entertainer, model, and chairperson of the “Wi Duti” civic movement—was sentenced to four years in prison. Her conviction on charges of incitement and threatening language stemmed from a January 31, 2026, APC rally at the Attouga Mini Stadium, where she publicly stated that anyone who rigs an election commits treason and should be killed.
Blyden contrasted Sheriff’s trajectory with that of Chief Abdul Kadiru Kaikai. In July 2024, a video leaked showing Kaikai, an SLPP supporter, threatening to wage a bloody war in Sierra Leone if he was not made president in 2028.
According to Blyden, the SLPP’s response was immediate and decisive. Following the leak, Kaikai was swiftly brought in for questioning by the Sierra Leone Police, who investigated his communications and finances. The SLPP suspended him without delay, and on July 21, 2024, Kaikai issued a formally signed public apology expressing deep remorse for his “dangerous and irresponsible” remarks.
“SLPP acted decisively on Kadiru. It made the SLPP look so disciplined and assertive,” Blyden noted, questioning why the APC hierarchy failed to demand similar accountability from Sheriff. “Why did somehow, no-one in APC hierarchy ensure the same for Zainab Sheriff?”
Blyden expressed dismay that Sheriff was allowed to make literal threats to kill while dressed in bright APC colors, an act she argues severely smeared the party’s image. She accused current APC leaders and presidential hopefuls of demonstrating a “clear paucity of leadership” by failing to stand tall and publicly condemn Sheriff’s remarks when they occurred.
To underscore her point about the fluid and sometimes hidden alliances in Sierra Leonean politics, Blyden released a photograph taken in Kaikai’s private office in March 2023. She claims the authentic image captures a moment when Kaikai was actively lobbying Sheriff to support the SLPP ahead of the June 2023 elections. Shortly after the photo was taken, Sheriff launched a public campaign against First Lady Fatima Maada Bio before ultimately aligning with the APC.
Blyden further alleged that factions within the SLPP and APC maintain “incestuous” hidden ties that are detrimental to the country’s democracy. She suggested these backchannel relationships explain why members of the ruling party have not actively publicized the contrast between the Kaikai and Sheriff incidents themselves, opting instead to let the scandal fracture the opposition.
Sheriff, who was denied bail eight times during her trial, is currently serving her concurrent sentences at the Pademba Road Female Correctional Facility. Her case has drawn significant attention from civil society and women’s rights groups, who have expressed concern over the strict application of the 1965 Public Order Act and the potential chilling effect on female political participation.
