Opposition Candidate Bassirou Diomaye Faye Is Set To Become Senegalese President

Opposition candidate Bassirou Diomaye Faye is set to become the next president of Senegal after the first round of voting revealed that he is leading the race.

The Senegalese electoral commission’s result showed that Faye pulled 53.7% of votes, while the ruling coalition candidate and former prime minister, Amadou Ba, earned 36.2% of votes from the 90% of polling stations across the West African country.

Amadou Ba has conceded defeat to Faye, saying:

“In light of presidential election result trends and while we await the official proclamation, I congratulate… Faye for his victory in the first round.”

President Macky Sall, who did not contest the election and is set to leave power after 12 years, also congratulated Faye, describing his win as “a victory for Senegalese democracy.”

Related: Protests Rock Senegal As President Sall Postpones Election

Sall also saluted the “smooth running of the election” as Senegal maintains her reputation as the bastion of democracy in West Africa, which has witnessed ten military coups since 2020.

Other opposition candidates, such as Anta Babacar Ngom, the only woman in the presidential race, also congratulated Faye.

Diomaye Faye, who will become the youngest president in Africa when sworn in at the age of 44, praised other candidates for honouring Senegalese democracy.

“I salute the approach of the other candidates who, without exception, have honoured a very Senegalese tradition without even waiting for the official results to be announced by the authorised state bodies,” Faye said during a speech in Dakar on Monday, March 25, 2024.

“Their congratulatory messages are eloquent testimony to their greatness.”

He also assured the “international community and to our bilateral and multilateral partners that Senegal will always honor its commitments.”

“It will remain a friendly country and a secure and reliable ally for any partner that engages with us in virtuous, respectful, and mutually productive cooperation.”

Faye’s victory is a testament to the economic hardships faced in Senegal, especially among the youth, who make up a large proportion of the population.

Youths under the age of 25 make up 60% of the West African country’s population and are struggling to find jobs.

Faye was relatively unknown and has been in jail for months because of moves against the Senegalese government, which he has called out on several occasions for being corrupt.

Senegalese people believe Faye is free of corruption and capable of fixing the harsh economic realities confronting them.