[Image: Ousmane Sonko during an opposition meeting in Dakar, March 14, 2023 | Photo credit: ABC News]
A Senegalese judge recently made a decision which relaunches the candidacy of Ousmane Sonko in the next presidential election in February 2024. By ordering the reinstatement of the imprisoned opponent on the electoral lists, the judge thus opens the way for his participation in the vote .
This decision follows a long legal drama which pitted Ousmane Sonko against the Senegalese state. Last June, the opponent was sentenced to two years in prison in a morals case, which led to his removal from the electoral rolls. However, a judgment rendered in October overturned this decision and ordered Sonko’s reinstatement. The Supreme Court then intervened by overturning this judgment in mid-November, but the reinstatement judge’s decision handed down recently puts Ousmane Sonko back in the presidential race.
Sonko’s supporters greeted the news with enthusiasm, expressing their support for the opponent at rallies. His legal team noted that the state has the option to appeal to the Supreme Court, but emphasizes that this would not have a suspensive effect on the judge’s decision. According to lawyers, the electoral code stipulates that the judge’s decision must be executed immediately.
Ousmane Sonko, who was already in prison for other charges, including calling for insurrection and endangering state security, therefore has a new chance to submit his candidacy and collect the necessary sponsorship from here on December 26.
This legal decision therefore completely relaunches the electoral campaign in Senegal and promises twists and turns in the months to come. The trajectory of Ousmane Sonko, who has become a very popular opposition figure, will be closely followed in this 2024 presidential race.
In conclusion, the judge’s decision to reinstate Ousmane Sonko on the electoral lists relaunches his candidacy for the presidential election in February 2024, after having been removed in June following a conviction. This legal step opens new perspectives for the imprisoned opponent, who will now have to collect the necessary sponsorships before officially submitting his candidacy. The Senegalese political landscape will therefore be animated in the coming months by this new electoral dynamic.