Senegal / Presidential election: Several candidates in the running, including opposition candidate Ousmane Sonko

Senegal’s presidential election takes place on 25 February 2024. A total of 90 candidatures have been registered, including that of opposition candidate Ousmane Sonko.

90 candidates are entering the race for the presidential chair with the aim of succeeding Macky Sall, who has said he does not want to run for another term.

Among them are Khalifa Sall, Karim Wade, Idrissa Seck, Abdoulaye Sylla, Rose Wardini and the opposition politician Ousmane Sonko, who is currently in detention due to legal problems.

Does Ousmane Sonko’s candidacy stand a chance? Convicted on 1 June of debauching a minor and sentenced to two years’ imprisonment, Mr Sonko failed to appear at the trial and was sentenced in absentia.

Since then, the 49-year-old opposition politician, who was imprisoned at the end of July on other charges including calling for insurrection, criminal association in connection with a terrorist undertaking and undermining state security, has denounced these cases as plots to keep him out of the presidential election.

In any case, on 20 January 2024, public opinion will be able to determine Mr Sonko’s fate with the publication of the final list.

For the time being, the Constitutional Council has yet to rule on whether or not to validate the files of the 90 registered candidates.

The draw to determine the order in which the Council’s teams will check the sponsorship files is scheduled for Thursday.

To help them get through this stage, several candidates have opted for parliamentary sponsorship.

They were required to collect 13 MPs each in order to avoid duplication in the sponsorship lists.

This is the first time in Senegal that a presidential election will be held without an incumbent President.

Amadou Ba, Senegal’s Prime Minister and a candidate of the ruling coalition, is naturally among the candidates whose names have been submitted.

Yann ETERNEL