In March 2023, the Ministry of Local Government ordered all Mayors and District Chairpersons to vacate office after their tenure ended. Despite this directive, former Mayor of Freetown, Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr, referred to herself as "Mayor" in her Easter message. This prompted criticism from Sylvia Olayinka Blyden, a popular female politician, who accused Aki-Sawyerr of impersonation for not adding "former" before the title.
Blyden shared a Facebook post expressing her disapproval, stating that Aki-Sawyerr's actions were lawless and that her popularity was limited to certain political circles. Blyden also claimed that Aki-Sawyerr had been impersonating the position of Mayor of Freetown to international guests on Freetown City Council projects. She called for the Central Government to intervene and caution Aki-Sawyerr, stating that she had no business positioning herself as still being Mayor of Freetown.