A fresh political storm is brewing after Dr. Sylvia Olayinka Blyden, former minister and outspoken public commentator, openly challenged senior APC figure and lawyer Ady Macauley to account for what she claims are secret financial dealings with the SLPP-led government.
In a strongly worded Facebook post, Dr. Blyden alleged that Ady Macauley quietly received “hundreds and hundreds of millions of leones” from the Maada Bio administration, allegedly paid on the directive of State House. According to her, the money was reportedly described as a severance package, yet neither the government nor Macauley has ever publicly acknowledged the payment.
“What makes this strange,” Blyden wrote, “is that this same government is known for loudly advertising when it pays people their benefits.” She questioned why, in this case, there was complete silence from both parties, asking why such a large payment would be kept away from public scrutiny.
Dr. Blyden insisted that while it may be Macauley’s personal right to collect money and remain quiet, the circumstances surrounding the payment raise serious political and ethical questions, especially within the opposition APC, where trust has been badly shaken since the disputed 2023 elections.
Her accusations went further. Blyden also called on Macauley to explain the status of an alleged criminal case file against him at the Office of the Attorney General in 2022, relating to a prima facie case of criminal incitement. She questioned whether the recommendation of the Director of Public Prosecutions was quietly shelved and whether the unresolved case was later used as leverage during the tense pre-election period.
“Was the case kept in a deep freezer?” she asked pointedly. “Was it used as a Sword of Damocles in the 2023 elections?”
Linking these issues to the broader fallout within the APC, Blyden claimed that the disappearance of key 2023 RRF forms was not accidental but part of what she described as a “joint criminal enterprise.” According to her, some individuals were allegedly bought off, while others were pressured with the threat of prosecution.
Her post carried a tone of deep frustration and betrayal. “We know we were sold out,” she wrote. “We just have not figured out who did what.”
In contrast, Blyden portrayed herself as open and transparent in her interactions with the ruling SLPP, saying she has never hidden her dealings and has paid the price politically for being honest. Others, she suggested, chose secrecy while presenting themselves as loyal opposition figures.
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She ended her post by publicly challenging Ady Macauley to address both allegations live on AYV, saying she would be tuning in to listen. “It is time to separate the goat from the sheep,” she wrote, adding in Krio, “Dis game, we all for done am.”
As of now, Ady Macauley has not issued a public response. Whether he will address the allegations remains to be seen, but Blyden’s intervention has reopened painful questions within the APC and added fresh tension to an already fragile political landscape.
