Sierra Leone Telegraph: 8 March 2023:
Freetown’s most popular and successful Mayor – Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr, has today confirmed that she will be running for re-election on June 24th, after completing her five-year term as the most hardworking mayor the city of Freetown has ever had, despite political witch-hunt by the ruling SLPP to remove her from office and prevent her from contesting the forthcoming election.
To the delight of her hundreds of thousands of supporters across the City, this morning she said: “On this International Women’s Day, I am pleased to announce that I am running for re-election as the Mayor of Freetown on 24th June 2023”.
You can watch Mayor Aki-Sawyerr’s re-election announcement video here:
Last Friday, 3rd March, 2023, Mayor Aki-Sawyerr was in South Carolina, USA where she delivered a keynote address at World Hope International’s Vision Summit, focusing on access to safe clean water, health and social protection.
Speaking about the event, Mayor Aki-Sawyerr said: “World Hope International has been a committed development partner; and it was lovely to meet with some of the people who make this work possible.”
The pattern of behaviour of attention-seeking and more or less narcissistic Sylvia Blyden is discernible even if you are as gullible as a sea gull itself or you are always wearing rose-tinted glasses. The self-titled Doctor is always finding ways to lurk and cavort at the corridors of power irrespective of who is at State House. Expect her to curry favour and influence yet again once another change of leadership becomes passe.
Ruling parties have always struggled big time in winning over the more educated, conscious and savvy capital-city dwellers. Add in awful human right record of Bio in bot regimes he has served, the prevailing dire economic conditions, the unprecedent cost of living crisis (not global), the historic struggles of the SLPP to win over Freetonians and facing a hard-working first woman mayor in the mix, no amount of ballot-stuffing will see any other winner other than the Econonmics and Accountancy-trained alumnus of St Josephs Convent and Fourah bay College as well as the prestigious London School of Economics announced by the newly-christened ECSL.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mayor_of_Freetown#:~:text=June%20Holst%2DRoness%2C%20Mayor%20of,city%20council%2C%202012%E2%80%932018.
Taking the argument a bit further, it has to be said that SLPP Bio, in the last elections run-off in 2018, could only garner about 40 percent of the votes in both urban and rural western areas. His about 210,000 victory votes over former and new opponent Samura Kamara were mostly due to massive support and swing votes from the people of Kono (73%), Falaba (43%), Koinadugu (32%) and Kambia (30%).
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/2018_Sierra_Leonean_general_election
Failure to convince the people of the four districts above that this Government has done enough to make their lives better and prevent them from trying their luck, embarking on another forlon hope and go back to their original, traditional or to put it more cynically, tribal party, will see the SLPP and Bio roasted or toasted in June.
I am no sage or soothsayer. I also have no crystall ball at hand but my instinct, gut-feeling and sixth sense is telling me the shadow of the 1967 elections is lurking in the background. I hope common sense will prevail eventually.
Yvonne Aki-Sawyer is a popular politician in Freetown and admired by many for her hard work in trying to transform Freetown. I am hopeful she will be re-elected as mayor to continue her work as she has brilliant ideas.
It is a shame that her detractors including failed politicians like Sylvia Blyden with no integrity who stand for nothing can try to bring her down.
The SLPP would be making a grave mistake to associate with the likes of Sylvia Blyden who during the Tejan Kabba era was supporting the SLPP and then it will be APC in Government and now the SLPP in Government again always trying to be relevant when she is not.
After watching the video of Sylvia Blyden attacking the British High Commissioner to Sierra Leone and the former Mayor Aki-Sawyerr, I can only say that Syvia is a political whore, engaging in shameless political prostitution. She is nothing but a fairweather friend who cannot even spell the word – LOYALTY. But you know what, I dont really think she has her head screwed on. Simply check out the meaning of the word MEGALOMANIA: “The delusional belief that one is important, powerful, or famous, as a form or symptom of mental disorder.” This, perfectly sums up Sylvia Blyden’s personality and character.
Former Mayor Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr and the British High Commissioner to Sierra Leone who is now the subject of nasty attacks by Sylvia Blyden, should take no notice of Sylvia Blyden. She is full of jealousy, hate and lacks political sophistry. But then, only in banana republics like Sierra Leone will rogue and mentally deranged politicians like SOB can be made to look relevant. God help the poor people of Sierra Leone.
It’s almost a probability of one that Her Worship Yvonne Aki-Sawyer will be re-elected. She is the most clever politician in the whole country . From the moment she was elected five years ago, she recognised that she had to endear herself to her people to be successful. But for the impediments Bio and his team have placed on her over the years Freetown would have been like any modern city anywhere in the world by now.
This is why I personally love her politically even I loathe APC and SLPP as a whole. I hope that if APC win in June, she would be considered for a sensitive and critical national office. The nation needs her.
Go for re-election City Mother. You have unfinished business viz the Krootown Road nursery, the Wilberforce Market etc. You will win hands down with a landslide despite what your detractors, the GREENS, and the Pretenders say. Freetonians know and love their Mayor. You absolutely deserve and merit a second term.
I humbly disagree. Of recent times, Late Alfred Akibo Bett should carry that mantle of being the best mayor in the Freetown municipality . During his days , lawlessness in the municipality was minimal and there were developmental projects undertaking by the F.C.C. What has Mrs. Yvonne Aki-Sawyer done since her ascension to the mayoral position in this four or more years ? Credit would only be given to her fake British accent.
Oh Patrick, you are really making a fool of yourself here. Accusing the Mayor of faking her British accent, is nothing short of being infantile. If all you think about when you listen to the Mayor speaking, is her so called “fake British accent”, then I would say you are either filled with jealousy and envy, or you lack the grown up ability to focus on what matters most. You need help. Go figure my dear brother! Lol