Fatima Bio (left) and Sylvia Blyden
By Sam Sesay
After Sylvia Blyden negatively influenced the home of the President and shattered the marriage to a point that Mrs Fatima Bio has lost almost every connection in the Bio family where she had one daughter with the President, questions are now being asked about how far her interference will go. Sylvia Blyden, a woman who believes she knows everything and anything and has the penchant for attention, always inserts herself into matters whether they concern her or not. Unfortunately, her influence over the First Lady has now turned toxic and public.
Fatima Bio has always respected parliamentary protocols and since her husband assumed the presidency, she has been present in Parliament during the State Opening of Parliament. But during the most recent session, she was taunted by some Parliamentarians with the song “Coco Ros.” Angered and embarrassed, she refused to stand up for the Vice President and the President as they entered the well of Parliament. This moment of defiance was later manipulated by Sylvia Blyden, who spoon-fed the First Lady with the false claim that she had never stood up for the President since he became head of state. The problem was that every social media blogger and commentator quickly debunked Sylvia’s claim, proving it false with evidence of past parliamentary sessions. Yet by then, Fatima Bio had already clung to that misinformation. Sylvia, in her typical style, shamelessly apologized publicly while leaving the First Lady exposed and hanging onto a falsehood in full public view.
The most dangerous part of this betrayal was when Sylvia Blyden went further to post photos of the First Lady’s security detail. In what part of the world is it considered safe or acceptable to expose the faces and identities of presidential security personnel? This reckless act not only jeopardized the safety of those individuals but also revealed just how little Sylvia values discretion, loyalty, or the sanctity of national security.
Never mind the attitudes of the First Lady, which many have criticized, it is now becoming clearer that her missteps are increasingly the result of Sylvia Blyden’s manipulation. A woman who has no reason to be a gatekeeper has somehow positioned herself as an influencer of the First Lady. And this is where the danger lies. Fatima Bio may be deeply flawed in the eyes of her critics, but the deeper tragedy is that she is being led astray by someone with her own questionable motives and political baggage.
Sylvia Blyden is a staunch member of the APC, but even within that party, she is not widely liked. Many APC members privately consider her a nuisance and treat her with suspicion. Yet here she is, worming her way into the affairs of the ruling party’s First Lady, sowing confusion and undermining Fatima Bio at every step. One cannot ignore the possibility that Sylvia is pursuing her own agenda, manipulating Fatima for her amusement, her political gain, or simply to remain relevant in the country’s political conversation.
This situation raises serious concerns. A First Lady already under immense scrutiny and often criticized for her confrontational approach to politics cannot afford to be influenced by a figure like Sylvia Blyden. The danger is not simply personal embarrassment. It is institutional. Every misstep of the First Lady reflects not only on her as an individual but also on the presidency and, by extension, the country. For Sylvia Blyden to feed falsehoods to Fatima Bio and then abandon her in the storm shows just how unreliable and destructive her counsel is.
There is also the moral dimension. A woman who has built her reputation on controversy, who thrives on attention-seeking behavior, and who cannot even keep her own party unified behind her should never be allowed to become the whispering voice behind the First Lady. If Fatima Bio continues to count on Sylvia Blyden for validation, advice, or defense, she is headed straight for the gutters. Sylvia Blyden will not stop until the First Lady’s image is irreparably damaged.
Fatima Bio must choose wisely. The role of First Lady is not an ordinary one. It comes with dignity, responsibility, and the burden of public scrutiny. It requires restraint, tact, and above all independence of mind. To hand over her public image and political choices to Sylvia Blyden is to invite further ridicule and betrayal.
In the end, Sylvia Blyden has once again shown Sierra Leone that her obsession with inserting herself into situations she has no business being part of only creates chaos. She may believe she is strengthening Fatima Bio’s hand, but in reality, she is dismantling what little credibility the First Lady has left. If this continues, the political consequences for both Fatima Bio and the presidency will be severe.
For now, we can only wait and see how far Sylvia Blyden will go and how long Fatima Bio will allow herself to be misled. But one thing is clear: unless the First Lady decides to stand on her own, independent of Sylvia’s manipulations, her legacy will not be her own. It will be a legacy written by Sylvia Blyden, and it will not be flattering.
