Bassirou Diomaye Faye, a 44-year-old lawyer and former tax inspector is set to become Africa’s youngest democratically elected President.
After a grueling political contest between him and the country’s former Prime Minister Amadou Ba who had the backing of the outgoing President Macky Sall, Diomaye Fay appeared poised for remarkable glory by Monday, March 25, evening.
His main rival Amadou Ba went public to concede in the elections in a statement and congratulated his rival.
“I wish him a lot of success, for the well-being of the Senegalese people,” Amadou Ba said in a statement.
President Macy Sall also sent his congratulatory message to Diomaye Faye.
His victory came despite the uphill task he was facing as an opposition candidate who was vying against a former Prime Minister who had the backing of the sitting President.
His rise to being Senegal’s President in waiting has been meteoric. Unlike his competitors and compatriots in the political scene, Diomaye Faye has never been a Minister or held any senior government position. This, in a political scene full of big names, left some questioning his suitability for the country’s top seat.
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The idea of having him as a candidate in the race to succeed President Macky Sall was a near impossibility until late into the electioneering period when his opposition compatriot and ally Ousmane Sonko endorsed him to be the opposition candidate.
Faye and Sonko come from jail to win elections
By then, both Faye and Sonko were facing legal battles which they said were politically instigated. On his part, Sonko was jailed in July 2023 on allegations of having acted immorally towards a massage therapist.
Despite having been a longtime critic of the incumbent government and an almost obvious candidate in the 2024 elections, the charges and his conviction dented his image and hopes of succeeding Sall.
Faye, on his part, was imprisoned for over eight months on allegations of spreading false news, contempt of court, and defamation of a constituted body after his remarks criticizing the country’s judicial system. The two were, however, released approximately one week to the Sunday polls which allowed him to campaign for his election.
His campaigns were anchored on fighting poverty, injustice and corruption with his focus being on instituting reforms in the Gas, oil, fishing and defense sectors to drive change.
Also Read: Senegal President Bows to Pressure, Sets New Election Date Amid Tension
Coming after attempts by Macky Sall to postpone the elections in February and uncertainty on whether he was prepared to hand over power, a peaceful transition will once again underline Senegal’s democratic maturity and cement its position as a haven of democracy in a region known for frequent political upheavals characterized by military coups.
In his statement on Tuesday morning, Faye thanked President Macky Sall noting that his vigilance and commitment made it possible to guarantee a free, democratic and transparent vote. The incoming President also appealed to other African nations, urging them to unite in correcting weaknesses detected in the past.
“I appeal to our African brothers and sisters so that together we consolidate the gains obtained in the processes of building integration in ECOWAS, while correcting weaknesses and changing certain methods, strategies and political priorities,” he stated in a post on X.
