by Fatima Babih, EdD
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A constitutional democracy demands that power flows from law, not proximity. But in today’s Sierra Leone under Julius Maada Bio, a public exchange between a ruling-party insider and the First Lady has exposed a deeper and more troubling question: Who really wields power in Sierra Leone, and under what authority?
Earlier this week, Musa Tarawally, a long-time political ally within the ruling Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP), released a video message addressed directly to Julius Maada Bio. His message was not an insult, nor a call for rebellion. It was a national warning.
Tarawally raised concerns about what he described as the political overreach of the First Lady, Fatima Bio, particularly the alleged use of informal influence, proxy actors, and intimidation within party and civic spaces as Sierra Leone edges toward the post-2028 political transition.
What followed from Fatima Bio was not de-escalation.
Instead of the President responding to an insider’s warning, it was his wife, Fatima Bio who responded directly to Tarawally, forcefully and personally, in a manner that transformed a constitutional concern into a public political confrontation.
Fatima Bio’s response matters, not because of its tone, but because of what it reveals. Tarawally’s original intervention is notable for who he addressed and how.
He did not speak directly to the First Lady. He spoke to the President.
By doing so, he framed the issue as one of executive responsibilities. His argument was simple and constitutionally grounded: the First Lady holds no elected or constitutional office, and therefore any exercise, or perception, of coercive political power by her threatens party discipline, institutional integrity, and national stability.
This framing deliberately avoided personal insult. It focused on boundaries.
Fatima Bio Shifts that Framing
Fatima Bio’s response rejected Tarawally’s claims and reversed the accusation. She denied directing or sponsoring online attacks and instead asserted that the controversial blogger at the center of the dispute was Tarawally’s (“boy”) protégé, not hers.
But beyond denial, her response did something far more consequential. She:
- Personalized Tarawally’s constitutional warning,
- Asserted herself as a political actor, not a ceremonial spouse,
- Suggested gatekeeping authority over future political ambitions,
- Acknowledged succession anxiety tied to the 2028 transition.
At multiple points in her video message, Fatima Bio framed herself as central to political decision-making in the country, stating plainly that this is a political space we are in, and implying that those seeking leadership should first consult her directly before going public.
That assertion fundamentally reframes her role as the wife of the president.
What Fatima Bio Did Not Address
Notably absent from her response was engagement with the core constitutional issue raised by Tarawally. She made no clarification of:
- The limits of her authority,
- Her relationship to state security or enforcement bodies,
- The boundaries between advocacy, influence, and power,
- The institutional safeguards against informal coercion.
Instead, she redirected the argument toward personal loyalty, betrayal, and blame. For a public already concerned about her impunity, this omission is significant.
Risk of Normalizing Informal Power
In fragile and post-conflict democracies like Sierra Leone, the most dangerous power is often not formal authority, but informal influence that operates without oversight. When:
- Political actors believe access matters more than process,
- Party members fear retaliation for dissent,
- Public roles blur into private power…
…institutions weaken and die quietly.
Even the perception that security forces, party machinery, or public platforms are being mobilized by Fatima Bio informally is enough to erode trust in the nation. Democracies rarely collapse through dramatic events; they decay through normalization of boundary-crossing, which was the alarm raised by Tarawally.
Playing The Gender Card
Fatima Bio also framed the confrontation as part of a pattern in which women are attacked and expected to remain silent. While gender-based hostility in politics is real and must be challenged, accountability and misogyny are not the same thing.
Tarawally’s warning focused on power and process, not gender.
Conflating the two is Fatima Bio’s deliberate effort to shield her conduct from scrutiny and undermine the very gender justice movements that demand accountability for all who wield influence in Sierra Leone.
Equality in leadership requires equality in responsibility.
The 2028 Succession in the Open
Perhaps the most revealing element of the exchange is what both sides implicitly acknowledge: the 2028 succession race has already begun in the SLPP.
What should concern citizens is not ambition, but how ambition is managed. If succession politics unfold through:
- Fatima Bio’s Proxy attacks,
- Her Informal intimidation,
- Her Personalized authority…
…then party unity and democratic competition will suffer long before ballots are cast. This is how Fatima Bio is helping fracture the ruling party, from within.
Maada Bio’s Silence Is Not Neutral
In constitutional governance, silence from the executive is not neutral. When concerns about informal power are raised publicly by insiders, the burden shifts to the President to clarify boundaries, reassert institutional order, and protect democratic norms.
Whether or not one agrees with Musa Tarawally’s claims, the response from Fatima Bio as the First Lady has confirmed the underlying problem: informal power has become visible, vocal, and contested.
That alone demands effective leadership, which is currently lacking in Sierra Leone.
Why This Moment Matters
This exchange is a signal. It marks the transition of long-whispered concerns in SLPP and the country into public discourse. It exposes tension between constitutional order and informal authority. And it forces a national conversation about who governs, how, and with what limits.
The future of Sierra Leone’s democracy will not be determined by this exchange alone, but how Maada Bio and SLPP leaders respond to it will matter. Because in the end, no democracy can survive when power answers only to proximity and not to the Constitution.
Listening to Fatima Bio’s response this adage comes to mind: Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and to remove all doubt, which advises that it is wiser to hold your tongue, as speaking ignorantly reveals true foolishness. Fatima Bio’s instant response did not only reveal foolishness, it also revealed impunity implied in Musa Tarawally’s message.
Musa Tarawally publicly asked Maada Bio to control his wife, but Fatima Bio’s defiant, overtly personal and political response only reinforced the people’s perception that their First Lady is unhinged and not accountable to her husband, the SLPP leadership or constitutional boundaries.
Reference
Transcript of Fatima Bio’s Public Video Response
I see Musa Tarawally is accusing me of asking somebody to insult him or insult his mother. I feel this is a dishonest message because Musa Tarawally himself knows that the Samura boy he is talking about is his boy—one of his main boys.
Samura has lived with Musa Tarawally all this time. Anything Samura has done, good or bad, has been under Musa Tarawally’s instruction. The only reason I know Samura is through Musa Tarawally, so I wonder why today he calls my name and associates me with Samura as if he has never known him.
It is in your home where Samura lived. You fed him. You instructed him. If Samura misbehaves in public, will we accuse you?
For you to accuse me now is unfair. I respected you because you are older than me and because I know you through my husband. But you did not call me, even though you have my number. Instead, you came on social media to accuse me.
There are many things you have done behind my back that I ignored. I know places where you told people not to welcome me. I know people you told not to wear T-shirts for His Excellency.
Right now, there is fear factor everywhere. But do your homework. If there is something you want, you should first tell me and wait for my reaction.
This is a political space we are in. Say what you have done for this country and let people judge you.
Don’t use me as a pawn. Samura is your boy. You bred Samura. Whatever he has become today is what you trained him to be. Don’t lie on me and think I will shut my mouth.”
Translation Disclaimer:
The following text is an English translation of statements originally made in Krio by Fatima Bio in a publicly circulated video. This translation is offered solely for informational and analytical purposes. It reflects the translator’s best effort to accurately convey the substance and intent of the original remarks. Any discrepancies or interpretive differences should be resolved by reference to the original audio or video recording.
MAMA SALONE ~ Lioness of the West Coast 