Senegal President Bassirou Diomaye Faye Faces Opposition Calls for Local Election Clarification

President Bassirou Diomaye Faye announced the creation of a new political party, claiming it is now the largest in Senegal. The mayor of Dakar, Abass Fall, a close ally of opposition leader Ousmane Sonko, urged the president to convene local elections to test the real electoral weight of all parties. Fall warned that a clear electoral test is needed to assess the parties' true support ahead of the scheduled municipal and departmental elections, originally set for 23 January 2027.

Faye, addressing his coalition, distinguished between the responsibilities of opposition and those of power, implicitly criticizing Sonko without naming him. He emphasized that the president represents all Senegalese and promised that government posts will be assigned later. The tension between the presidency and Sonko’s Pastef party continues, with Sonko opposing any postponement of the local polls and demanding that voters be allowed to choose on schedule.