by Fatima Babih, EdD
…If you are not controlling her, then we will control her in the political space in the interest of the nation and the stability of the nation... (Musa Tarawally)
By any serious democratic standard, a First Lady holds only a symbolic influence, not constitutional authority. Yet in Sierra Leone today, that distinction appears increasingly blurred, and the consequences are no longer whispered behind closed doors.
Recently, Musa Tarawally, a long-time political ally of Julius Maada Bio, released a video message addressed directly to the President. In it, Tarawally raised concerns about the alleged political conduct of Fatima Bio, framing her actions not as personal missteps, but as a governance and constitutional issue with national implications.
This stern message was not an opposition attack. It was the ruling SLPP internal alarm bell.
Not a Private Grievance
Tarawally’s remarks were deliberate and public. He did not accuse Fatima Bio of crimes; rather, he responded to claims circulating on social media, which he attributed to a blogger, and used that moment to issue a broader warning about informal power, intimidation, and indiscipline in the party.
Crucially, he placed responsibility squarely on Julius Maada Bio, not as a spouse, but as Head of State and leader of the ruling Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP). That framing matters.
In constitutional democracies, the danger is not only corruption by officials, but the influence exercised by a non-official actor like the First Lady who answers to no law, no oversight, and no accountability mechanism.
“Ambient Power”
The most significant concept raised in Tarawally’s statement is what he described as ambient power, the informal authority derived from proximity to the presidency rather than from any legal mandate.
She cannot continue going around with the ambient power; the police and the army, to intimidate people and send vulnerable boys to insult people.
Fatima Bio moves through Sierra Leone surrounded by police and military forces, not for her protection, but as instruments of intimidation. This is how authoritarians operate: they don’t need to explicitly threaten; the presence of armed state power sends the message for them.
This is exactly what we witnessed at Koidu Holdings, where Fatima Bio inserted herself into a labor dispute with the implicit backing of state authority, overriding legal processes and established institutions.
In democratic systems, perception alone can be destabilizing. When political actors believe that state power can be deployed informally, fear replaces fairness, and institutions begin to erode.
“No Constitutional Office”
Tarawally’s most legally significant statement was also the most restrained: She has no constitutional office. This is not an insult. It is a statement of law.
Under Sierra Leone’s Constitution, the First Lady holds no executive authority, commands no security apparatus, and exercises no disciplinary power within political parties or state institutions. Any suggestion, real or perceived, that she can mobilize such power raises serious questions about abuse of state resources.
Tarawally articulates the fundamental problem that should alarm every Sierra Leonean:
She has no constitutional office. She is just the first lady; she is your wife and because of that we all give her the respect. She doesn’t have the constitutional right to use ambient power to intimidate people or use ambient power to target those she perceives as her opponents.
Importantly, Tarawally did not call for disrespect toward Fatima Bio. He acknowledged the courtesy accorded to her as the President’s spouse. His objection is to her political actions without legal mandate.
National Consequences
Tarawally’s statement also exposed growing anxiety within the ruling party as Sierra Leone approaches the 2028 political transition. Succession politics are inevitable. What matters is how they are conducted.
If internal competition is managed through:
- Smear campaigns,
- Proxy intimidation,
- Unequal enforcement of law,
then the ruling SLPP risks not only internal fragmentation, but loss of public legitimacy.
Tarawally’s warning, if you do not control her, it will create a problem, should be understood not as a threat, but as a forecast.
President’s Responsibility
Whether or not one accepts Tarawally’s concerns in full, Julius Bio cannot dismiss them lightly. In constitutional governance, inaction is itself a decision.
The President bears responsibility to:
- Reaffirm the constitutional limits of non-elected actors like the First Lady,
- Ensure security institutions remain neutral and professional,
- Protect internal party democracy,
- Prevent informal power from substituting formal authority.
Silence risks validating the perception that constitutional boundaries no longer matter.
Concerns about Fatima Bio’s overreach have now moved from rumor to public, attributed, insider testimony. The debate is no longer about personalities; it is about institutional integrity.
Democracies rarely collapse in dramatic coups. They erode gradually, when informal power becomes normalized, when institutions bend to proximity, and when leaders fail to draw clear boundaries. Sierra Leone stands at such a moment.
The question is not whether Fatima Bio should be influential. The question is whether that influence will remain symbolic and lawful, or political and unaccountable.
That answer rests with the man serving as President, her husband, Julius Maada Bio.
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Video Transcript
[For context and verification, the full transcript of Musa Tarawally’s statement, translated from Krio to English is provided below]
Good evening to the people of Sierra Leone and to his excellency the president of Sierra Leone. I am making a statement on an issue that has the tendency to undermine the peace and good relationship that your excellency has with the people of Sierra Leone, including my very self. I follow social media and a lot of people called me to call my attention to messages and discussions that Samura a blogger has put on social media about me. Claiming that your wife the first lady bought a house for him, is supporting him and in a sense she is the one sending him to write things about me. And that even when he did it to others and got arrested, it was the first lady who asked for him to be released from police custody and not face justice.
Your excellency, I want you to know that we have all struggled for Sierra Leone. We have worked hard for the country to achieve peace and be the way it is today, which you are leading.
Your wife is crossing barriers. And if, as Samura claims, she is the one behind him, I want you to know that if you are not controlling her, if you are not controlling her, then we will control her in the political space in the interest of the nation and the stability of the nation. She cannot continue going around with the ambient power; the police and the army, to intimidate people and send vulnerable boys to insult people. I read in one of the text and my brother told me that Samura even insult my mother. This is unacceptable. And if you don’t control your wife, which is your responsibility, then her behavior will create a problem between us because I can’t accept it.
I have seen her do it to the Party Chairman with impunity. I have seen her do a lot of things with impunity. I want to let you know that I will not tolerate that. And the indiscipline happening in the SLPP should not happen under your leadership. Those who call themselves bloggers must be controlled. We have the institutions, the print and electronic media that are the ones that disseminate credible information. This blogger thing has to be monitored or controlled. Or else, it will just encourage blackmail and use them for political propaganda against opponents.
I don’t have time for this. I’m busy with my business, I’m busy with my plans and aspirations for that country. I respect you as president, but I want you to warn your wife, advise her and control her. She has no constitutional office. She is just the first lady; she is your wife and because of that we all give her the respect. She doesn’t have the constitutional right to use ambient power to intimidate people or use ambient power to target those she perceives as her opponents. It’s unacceptable and I will resist her fearlessly. I thank you very much.
MAMA SALONE ~ Lioness of the West Coast 