A prominent political figure within Sierra Leone’s All Peoples Congress (APC), Dr. Sylvia Olayinka Blyden, has broken her silence regarding her political ambitions, revealing that she is considering three potential paths within the party’s future leadership.

In a press statement released on New Year’s Day, Blyden outlined her political goals, including the possibility of running for the presidency in 2028 or seeking the position of APC National Deputy Chairman for the 2026-2029 term. She also mentioned the option of stepping back from active leadership in the party.

Reflecting on her long history with the APC, Blyden’s statement recounted a pivotal moment 13 years ago when she met with the then-President, Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma, and the APC National Secretary-General, Victor Bockarie Foh, at the Presidential Lodge in Kabala.

Blyden described the three-hour meeting as “candid” and “educative,” marking her return to the inner workings of the party after serving as Special Executive Assistant to the President with full Cabinet Rank. During that meeting, Blyden’s critical contributions to the APC, especially her role in elevating the party as the main opposition force in Sierra Leone from 1999 to 2001, were acknowledged by both Koroma and Foh.

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The APC, however, has faced significant challenges in recent years. Blyden pointed out the party’s disastrous outcomes in both the 2018 and 2023 elections, where the APC lost the presidency and suffered humiliating defeats in key parliamentary races.

Notably, the APC lost control of several key constituencies in Freetown to their political rivals, the Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP), including the home constituencies of top APC leaders. Blyden described the 2018 election results as an “unimaginable abomination” and criticized the party’s performance in 2023 as even worse, citing claims of mismanagement and alleged sabotage within the party’s leadership.

Blyden placed the blame for the APC’s recent struggles on “treachery and incompetence” within the party, calling for a “paradigm shift” in the APC’s leadership. She emphasized the need for strategic political thinkers to step forward and take charge in order to rebuild the party and restore its prominence.

“We now need to give APC a paradigm SHIFT using strategic Political Thinkers who have to come forward and take leadership of the party so as to help move the party from Zero back to Hero,” she stated.

Looking to the future, Blyden said she is weighing her options and will make a final decision on her role within the party leading up to the APC’s 2026 National Delegates Conference. She expressed confidence in her ability to serve the APC in high-level leadership roles, citing her extensive experience over the past 25 years.

Blyden has previously held several critical roles within the APC, including serving on the National Delegates Conference (NDC) and the National Advisory Committee (NAC).

Blyden also reflected on her early investments in the party, noting how she personally financed the APC in its early years, a time when few believed in the party’s potential. “In 1999 when someone like me invested in the growth of the APC with my personal money, time and energy, many others did not share our aspirations for the APC,” she recalled, stressing that her contributions should be respected by others in the party today.

As the APC faces internal divisions and external pressures, Blyden’s statement signals her readiness to lead the party forward and potentially reclaim political power. She concluded her statement with a call for prayers, acknowledging the importance of divine guidance in her political journey.

“Please continue to keep me in your prayers because in all things, it is only God Almighty who is the best guide,” she said, citing references from both the Holy Bible and the Qur’an. Blyden’s announcement comes at a crucial time for the APC as it prepares for the 2026 National Delegates Conference, where new leadership will be selected.