Senegal's Pastef grapples with resignations while accelerating membership card drive

The Party of African Patriots for Work, Ethics and Fraternity (PASTEF) in Senegal is experiencing a surge of departures among its ranks. Party deputy Amadou Ba has characterized the resignations as a marginal “strategic” narrative, insisting that the number of members leaving is below a hundred, while the party aims to recruit one million members through a nationwide card‑selling campaign.

Opposition sources claim that more than 700 young members have left PASTEF within 96 hours, a claim Ba dismisses as an orchestrated media stunt intended to exaggerate the party’s decline. Ba also warned that aggressive online attacks by some supporters on departing members could erode the party’s public image.

Party leader Ousmane Sonko continued his political tour, visiting Bargny and other localities, emphasizing that the membership‑card operation is pivotal for upcoming elections and reporting that the campaign is about 80 % complete. Legal adviser Amadou Bâ announced plans to repeatedly bring cases before the Supreme Court to challenge administrative bans on card‑selling gatherings.

On 25 July, a large crowd gathered at the PASTEF departmental headquarters in Kolda for the official launch of the card‑selling drive, underscoring the party’s continued mobilisation despite internal tensions.