Sierra Leone’s First Lady Fatima Bio’s transformational journey from an aspiring Nollywood star to one of the most contentious presidential
spouses in West Africa is alarming. It has now become commonplace in Sierra Leone for Fatima Bio to be referred to as: “Her Excellency,” which many political observers see as an attempt to equate herself to the office of the presidency. She also now claims an honorary Doctorial title. Fatima gained notoriety for her political smash talks
against critics and opponents of her husband during the first five years of his presidency. We also see a similar situation with Julius Maada Bio, who is also often referred to as “supreme” Head of State as was the case at the 2021 graduation ceremony of military officers, and during the state dinner following the visit of US Representative Gregory Meeks and his Congressional Delegation. There is nowhere in a democratic dispensation that a Head of State or president is referred to as “supreme.”
