Relationship Between Senegal’s President-elect Bassirou Diomaye Faye And Pastef

INTERESTING FACTS: Senegal’s President-elect Bassirou Diomaye Faye was the Secretary General of opposition party, Pastef.

The leader of his party, Ousmane Sonko was jailed. He joined the Presidential race and was endorsed by Sonko.

Faye was also detained, and was once barred from contesting in the election but was released 10 days to elections.

Faye, 44 (Left) become president after ruling coalition rival Amadou Ba, 62 (Right), concedes defeat.

Faye may have clinched an outright majority, avoiding a run-off, and kept up a rare Senegalese tradition of the ruling party losing to the opposition after two terms.

He also becomes the youngest candidate to be democratically elected in Africa on the first instance of running for office, in decades. Burkina Faso’s Ibrahim Traoré is 36, but he seized power in a coup in 2022.

Outgoing President Macky Sall nearly upended Senegal’s fragile democratic tradition, by jailing opposition leader Ousame Sonko and knocking him out of the race, trying to finagle a third term, and finally trying to postpone elections. It all backfired badly, provoking weeks of national unrest and violent protests, forcing him to climb down.

In the end, democracy has won again after Sall congratulated the president elect. Senegal has snatched victory from the jaws of democratic defeat. They have won the right to show off; a peaceful vote, no kerfuffle over vote theft, and a gracious concession from the losers.

He has two beautiful wives. The Constitution of Senegal doesn’t make Provision for a First Lady! The Term “1st Lady” is an American and colonial Construct. In Senegal they will both be First Ladies!

This victory brings to light Africa’s confidence in visionary and youth leadership.