The Senegalese opposition party, Pastef, led by Ousmane Sonko, faces a major obstacle in its preparation for the presidential elections of February 2024. Sonko, currently imprisoned for calling for insurrection, was unable to collect the files sponsorship necessary to validate his candidacy due to his absence on the official electoral lists. However, the party is not letting this discourage them and has found an alternative solution.
Indeed, five close collaborators of Ousmane Sonko managed to recover sponsorship forms in their name. Among them, we find Guy Marius Sagna, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, El Malick Ndiaye, Birame Souley Diop and Abass Fall. The latter were able to obtain the necessary forms to be able to present themselves as candidates in the presidential election. This decision was taken in order to continue to make the voice of the political opposition heard and to stay in the political game.
The decision to present these five candidates as substitutes for Ousmane Sonko is considered a safety net by party members. Even if this does not replace the candidacy of Sonko himself, it is a way of guaranteeing an opposition presence against the party of the outgoing president, Macky Sall. The party also learned from the experience of previous elections, where not fielding a candidate was seen as a strategic error.
Despite the obstacles they face, party members remain determined to defend their political rights. They intend to file an appeal before the Ziguinchor court of first instance to challenge the non-recovery of sponsorship forms by Ousmane Sonko.
This alternative strategy could allow the Pastef party to maintain its political presence and continue to assert its ideas and demands. The 2024 presidential election will be a crucial moment for Senegal, and the opposition certainly does not intend to leave the field open to President Macky Sall’s party.