The Senegalese opposition party Pastef has shown unfailing determination despite the obstacles encountered on the road to the presidential election in February 2024. While its leader, Ousmane Sonko, was refused the possibility of withdrawing the sponsorship forms necessary for validate his application, five of his close collaborators managed to obtain these precious documents.
Officially dissolved at the end of July, the Pastef party refuses to give up. Last Friday, agents collected the sponsorship forms for Guy Marius Sagna, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, El Malick Ndiaye, Birame Souley Diop and Abass Fall. These party members are now ready to enter the presidential race alongside Ousmane Sonko.
Ousmane Sonko’s situation has become more complex, since he was unable to recover his sponsorship forms due to his absence from the electoral lists, according to the authorities. This situation could make his application ineligible. However, his defense contests this decision, claiming that he never received notification of his removal and that his absence from the lists is due to his period of imprisonment for youth corruption.
Despite the obstacles, the Pastef party remains confident and intends to file an appeal before the Ziguinchor court to challenge the decision. In the meantime, the five candidates who managed to obtain sponsorship forms serve as a safety net for the party. They represent a backup strategy in case Ousmane Sonko’s candidacy is rejected.
This choice of presenting several candidates for sponsorship avoids repeating past mistakes, such as Khalifa Sall and Karim Wade in 2019, who did not present a candidate and thus gave the advantage to President Macky Sall’s party. By maintaining several candidacy possibilities, the Pastef party ensures that it can continue to actively participate in the presidential race.
The battle for sponsorships is a major issue in Senegalese political life, and the Pastef party is determined to take up this challenge despite the difficulties. The decision to field multiple candidates is a bold strategy that ensures the party will not be excluded from the democratic process. The next few months will be crucial to see if Ousmane Sonko will manage to collect enough sponsorships to validate his candidacy, or if one of the five backup candidates will take on the role of leader of the opposition. Senegal’s political future is uncertain, but the Pastef party continues to fight to make its voice heard.