Senegal is preparing for the presidential election which will take place on February 25. The Constitutional Council is currently examining the applications, among which 21 candidates have passed the sponsorship stage. Among these candidates, we find political figures such as the current Prime Minister Amadou Ba, the former mayor of Dakar Khalifa Sall and Karim Wade, son of former president Abdoulaye Wade. We also note the presence of profiles from civil society, such as economists, scientists and an obstetrician-gynecologist.
However, some candidates saw their applications rejected, which sparked controversy. Indeed, sponsorships are a filter established in 2018 to reduce the number of presidential candidates. Although improvements have been made to the application review process, problems persist. Some citizens sponsor several candidates, which results in “external duplicates” and leads to the rejection of certain files. Additionally, candidates are judged on the basis of a document they do not yet have, which complicates the process.
One of the best-known opponents, Ousmane Sonko, has still not succeeded in having his candidacy validated. Following his conviction in 2023 in a morality case, he was removed from the electoral rolls. Despite the court decisions that ordered his reinstatement, the administration refuses to respect these decisions, which constitutes a flagrant violation of the law.
The absence of Ousmane Sonko could have an impact during the election, given that he is one of the most popular opposition figures. However, recourse is still possible and his party, Pastef, has evolved and continues to mobilize its supporters.
In conclusion, the presidential election in Senegal is a major issue and raises many controversies. Despite improvements to the nomination process, problems persist and some opposition figures are excluded from the electoral process. It will be interesting to follow how the situation develops and see how it impacts the final outcome of the election.