On Sunday March 24th 2024, the National Vote Counting Commission Of Senegal announced Bassirou Diomaye Faye as the winner of the Presidential election, following provisional results that gave him a 54.28% win.
His close competitor was the incumbent Prime Minister Of Senegal, Amadou Ba, who secured 35.79% in the provisional results that were announced.
Bassirou Diomaye Faye is Senegals youngest President ever and he had not occupied any elective office till he decided to run for this Presidency.
With his friend Ousmane Sonko, the two politicians had been imprisoned by President Macky Sall’s government for close to twelve months and they were released just 10 days to the election, but this didn’t deter them from putting up a very competitive fight in terms of mobilising and campaigning.
Many Senegal people were very happy for this victory and they were seen allover the streets of Dakar chanting Bassirous’s name and that of Ousmane Sonko.
Yesterday, the out going President Macky Sall welcomed the two political giants, Faye and Sonko at the Presidential Palace, a gesture that calmed the citizens who thought there would not be a peaceful transfer of power.
If you can recall, President Macky had postponed the election siting insecurity issues within the country, which sparked protests in different parts of Senegal and the constitutional court ordered that the elections be held on 24th March 2024.
Faye was born on 25 March 1980 in Ndiaganiao, in the western department of Mbour, Senegal.
He is the former Secretary of the African Patriots Of Senegal For Work, Ethics and Fraternity, a party that was formed by his friend Ousmane Sonko, who was disqualified from the election on allegations of rape.
Prior to the election, Faye mobilised other opposition parties, groups and members, who formed an alliance called Liberate The People and they were able to win 56 seats.
This young Pan – Africanist promised his people to create more jobs and to serve all citizens of Senegal equally.
This might be a new era in Senegal and Africa’s politics, since we have started seeing young Politicians forming and leading very solid movements and alliances.
