In a significant development ahead of Senegal’s presidential election on February 25, the country’s constitutional council has finalized a list of 20 candidates, notably excluding prominent opposition figures Ousmane Sonko and Karim Wade.
Ousmane Sonko, a leading opposition leader who secured third place in the 2019 presidential polls, has been deemed ineligible to participate in the upcoming elections. This decision follows a six-month suspended sentence Sonko received after being convicted of defamation, a verdict that, according to the constitutional council, renders him ineligible for a period of five years. Sonko’s disqualification has been described by his PASTEF party as “the most dangerous precedent in the political history of Senegal.”
Amidst these developments, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, an ally of Sonko, has been cleared to run for the presidency. Faye, who is currently in detention and facing charges including defamation and contempt of court, was nominated as a backup candidate by members of the now-dissolved PASTEF party in anticipation of Sonko’s disqualification.
Karim Wade advances towards presidential run in senegal
Karim Wade, the son of former Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade, has also been excluded from the candidate list. The constitutional council stated that Wade’s dual citizenship at the time of his formal presidential candidacy declaration disqualified him from the race. Wade has decried this decision as “an attack on democracy” and has expressed his determination to participate in the election in some capacity.
The list of approved candidates, released on January 20, includes President Macky Sall’s hand-picked successor, Prime Minister Amadou Ba, former Dakar mayor Khalifa Sall, and former prime minister Idrissa Seck. The election marks a historic moment in Senegal’s political history, as it will be the first time since independence that an incumbent president does not seek re-election after serving two terms.
Political analyst Mamadou Sy Albert noted that the exclusion of Sonko and Wade makes the election outcome highly uncertain, with no clear frontrunner emerging among the remaining candidates. This situation, combined with divisions within President Sall’s party and the fact that Amadou Ba has never before contested a presidential election, suggests a fiercely competitive and unpredictable race.
