The Backlashes Against First Lady: Break of Protocol or Projection?

By: Alhaji A. Barrie 

A moment of stillness. That’s all it took.

When First Lady Dr. Fatima Bio remained seated as President Dr. Julius Maada Bio entered Parliament, the reaction was swift and unforgiving. Social media erupted with accusations “disrespectful,” “unpatriotic,” “arrogant.” Some posts went further, laced with misogyny and personal attacks. But beneath the outrage lies a deeper question: what are we really reacting to?

Let’s be clear. There is no law, no parliamentary rule, no constitutional clause that mandates the First Lady to stand when the President enters Parliament. The Standing Orders of Parliament are silent on her role. The 1991 Constitution defines the structure and conduct of Parliament, but does not prescribe ceremonial behavior for spouses of elected officials.

Perhaps it was a breach of expectation. In many societies including ours, women in public life are expected to be deferential, supportive, and quietly dignified. When they step outside that mold—by speaking boldly, dressing differently, or, yes, choosing not to stand, they are often met with disproportionate criticism.

Dr. Fatima Bio is no stranger to scrutiny. Her visibility, her voice, and her unapologetic presence challenge a political culture that still struggles with powerful women. For some, her refusal to conform is empowering. For others, it’s threatening. 

But should confidence in a woman be mistaken for disrespect?

Let’s not pretend this is just about protocol. If it were, the conversation would have ended with a quick reference to the Constitution. Instead, it spiraled into a digital witch hunt. That’s not civic concern—that’s cyberbullying.

This isn’t to say public figures should be immune to criticism. They shouldn’t. But criticism must be fair, informed, and free from personal bias. Otherwise, it becomes something else entirely: a projection of discomfort, dressed up as moral outrage.

We must ask ourselves: are we holding Fatima Bio to a standard rooted in law, or in tradition? And if it’s tradition, whose tradition? Who defines it? Who benefits from it?

This moment, brief as it was, has exposed more than just our expectations of a First Lady. It has revealed our discomfort with women who do not conform. It has shown how quickly political discourse can devolve into personal attack. And it has reminded us that respect is not about ceremony,nit’s about substance.

Because in the end, this isn’t just about Dr. Fatima Bio. It’s about all of us. Let’s raise the level of our conversation. Let’s separate protocol from projection. 

Let’s build a society where disagreement doesn’t require disrespect and where women are free to define their own roles!

Contact the author on: barrieabdulrahman106@gmail.com