Dr. Sylvia Olayinka Blyden Signals Possible APC Leadership Bid as Party Reckons with Electoral Decline
Freetown, January 1, 2026 — Veteran politician and long-time party stalwart Dr. Sylvia Olayinka Blyden has issued a reflective and pointed press statement outlining her possible political ambitions within the All Peoples Congress (APC), as the opposition party confronts the fallout from successive electoral defeats.
Marking 13 years since a pivotal 2013 meeting in Kabala with then President Ernest Bai Koroma and APC Secretary General Victor Bockarie Foh, Blyden recalled a moment she described as her re-entry into the inner workings of the party. That meeting, she said, symbolized optimism about the APC’s future and recognized her earlier role in strengthening the party during its opposition years and contributing to Koroma’s political legacy.
Today, Blyden argues, that optimism has evaporated. She points to the APC’s losses in the 2018 and 2023 elections as evidence of deep-seated structural and strategic failures. In 2018, the party lost not only the presidency but also key parliamentary seats in the Western Area, including constituencies linked to its top leadership. She described the outcome as unprecedented and damaging to the party’s credibility.
According to Blyden, the 2023 elections marked an even sharper decline. She cited the party’s failure to secure a single district result across presidential, parliamentary, mayoral, and local council races, alongside unresolved questions over missing electoral result forms, particularly in Freetown.
Against this backdrop, Blyden called for a “paradigm shift” driven by strategic political thinkers capable of rebuilding the APC. She disclosed that she is considering three options ahead of the party’s 2026 National Delegates Conference: contesting the 2028 presidential election, seeking the position of National Deputy Chairman (2026–2029), or stepping back from active leadership.
Emphasizing her 25-year history of service and early financial support to the APC during its most fragile period, Blyden urged party members to reflect honestly on the past and to prioritize renewal. She concluded by appealing for prayers and guidance, framing her decision as one ultimately guided by faith and the broader interests of Sierra Leone.
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