If the social media speculations about Dr. Fatima Maada Bio’s intention to contest for the 2026 SLPP flag bearer position are true, then Sierra Leone is on the cusp of a revolutionary chapter in its political history; one that boldly redefines leadership, inclusivity, and gender equity in today’s patriarchal society.
Her potential candidacy is not merely a bid for power. It is a profound symbol of national transformation. It marks the resurgence of a courageous fight to break the chains of patriarchy and open up political space to women; not just as supporters, but as contenders and leaders. Since Dr. Kadi Sesay’s groundbreaking run in 2012, no woman has dared to challenge the male-dominated grip on party flag bearer contests. Dr. Fatima Bio’s boldness deserves applause and the united support of every Sierra Leonean who believes in progress.
For decades, both the SLPP and APC (the dominant political titans of our land) have failed to present a female presidential candidate. This is an unfortunate stain on our democracy. In a country where women constitute the majority, where they are central to our development and moral strength, it is unacceptable that their voices have been silenced at the highest levels of leadership. It is time to correct that injustice. It is time for the SLPP, especially its women, to rise above internal differences and throw their weight behind a woman who has dared to believe that she, too, can lead.
We often speak of “radical inclusion,” but if it excludes the empowerment of women to lead, then it is neither radical nor inclusive. If it becomes a weapon to bully, silence, or ridicule women with ambition, then it has lost its moral compass. True inclusion is not lip service. It is standing with our women as they rise to break ceilings and rewrite history. Supporting Dr. Fatima Maada Bio is not just about politics; it is a declaration that Sierra Leone is ready for a future where leadership is not determined by gender but by vision, courage, and capacity.
Imagine what this could mean for the girls in our classrooms, for the young women who dare to dream big, for the mothers who have long been the silent architects of this nation’s progress. Her victory would mean hope. It would mean that every girl can say, “If she did it, so can I.” It would ignite a movement that dismantles the outdated idea that “only men can lead” and replaces it with a new national ethos of possibility and inclusion.
To His Excellency President Julius Maada Bio, I extend heartfelt congratulations on your recent victory as Chairman of ECOWAS. This serves as a testament to your visionary leadership on the continental stage. Under your tenure, you have transformed Sierra Leone’s education system, leading to a historic surge in girls’ enrollment and performance in schools. Today, more girls top national exams. More young women are entering universities, excelling in Science, Technology, Engineering, Agriculture, and Mathematics (STEAM disciplines). Under your leadership, we have witnessed the first female president of NUSS and the rise of the Sierra Queens to regional glory.
You have been honored globally as a HeForShe champion. You have been recognized as a true ally in the fight for gender equality. And now, Mr. President, you have the opportunity to make history once again by standing with and endorsing Dr. Fatima Maada Bio as the SLPP’s next flag bearer. Such a move would not only consolidate your legacy as a transformational leader but could well earn you the global distinction of being the first president in our nation’s history to champion a woman to the presidency. That is Nobel Prize territory.
I write not as a partisan, not as a politician, but as a citizen who believes in justice, inclusion, and the boundless potential of our women. I may have never met Dr. Fatima Maada Bio, but I do not need a handshake to recognize history when it knocks. As a gender rights activist, as an emancipator of women, I believe it is a moral duty to support not just Dr. Fatima, but any woman who dares to lead.
Her success will not be hers alone. It will be the triumph of every Sierra Leonean woman. It will be the breaking of centuries-old patriarchal chains. It will be the loud, triumphant roar of a nation finally walking into the future with both its daughters and its sons. The time for egalitarianism is not tomorrow; it is now. If not now, then when? If not us, then who?