Senegal President Bassirou Diomaye Faye and Assembly Speaker Ousmane Sonko clash over constitutional reform

On 9 July 2026 Senegal’s Constitutional Council annulled the constitutional revision adopted on 29 June, citing procedural flaws and a budgetary imbalance in the proposed Constitutional Court. The decision halted a draft that would have barred the president from party leadership, increased powers of the prime minister and parliament, and introduced new electoral management bodies. President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, who initiated the challenge, now regains procedural control, while Assembly Speaker Ousmane Sonko, who had sought the reform through his party Pastef, denounced the ruling as a political setback.

In the days that followed, Sonko toured the Mbacké region, inaugurated Pastef’s new local headquarters and called for party unity, urging members to avoid internal rivalries. The ruling Diomaye President coalition issued a communiqué condemning Sonko’s remarks as “scandalous” and accusing him of sowing tension. The Front for the Republic and Socialism (FPRS And Liggey) likewise criticized Sonko, stating “Senegal deserves better than permanent confrontation.”

Amid the intra‑coalition frictions, longtime Pastef operative Babacar Faye announced his resignation from the party’s political bureau and his intention to join President Faye’s upcoming new political formation. His departure is seen as a further sign of realignment within the ruling majority as the country heads toward upcoming elections.