AYV News, March 26, 2026
A public exchange has emerged between political figures over claims relating to mayoral support and past actions involving local council leadership.
Speaking during an interview on AYV’s This Day programme, Moses Sellu Mambu, National Publicity Secretary of the Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP), stated that the party has provided more support to Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr than any previous mayor. He further noted that the party had invested millions of leones into the operations of the Freetown City Council.
Mambu also alleged that the All People’s Congress (APC), during its time in government, had removed an elected mayor from office.
However, in a response shared on social media, Sylvia Olayinka Blyden disputed the claim, clarifying that the former Mayor of the Koidu New Sembehun city Council, Emerson Saa Lamina, was not dismissed but rather suspended following Cabinet deliberations and a presidential directive.
According to Dr. Blyden, a socio-political analyst, the suspension also affected several finance and administrative staff within the Kono-based council and was linked to corruption allegations and ongoing investigations at the time. She explained that the action was taken to allow for a free and fair investigative process amid what she described as intense disputes over alleged misconduct.
The clarification has since triggered discussions across social media platforms, with some commentators questioning whether the former mayor was reinstated after the suspension, while others have commended the intervention as a timely effort to promote accuracy in public discourse.
Observers note that the exchange underscores the importance of precise and fact-based communication, particularly on sensitive governance issues involving elected officials and local councils.
