By Abiola Olawale
Senegal’s anti-establishment candidate, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, 44, is set to become president after his main rival, Amadou Ba, recognized his victory in elections that came barely days after he was freed from prison.
His main rival from the governing coalition, Amadou Ba, recognized Faye’s win in the first round of the vote and has subsequently offered his congratulations.
“Considering the trends of the presidential election results and awaiting the official declaration, I congratulate President Bassirou Diomaye Diakhar Faye on his victory in the first round,” Ba said in the statement.
Diakhar Faye, 44, has taken an early lead in Senegal’s presidential elections and is set to become the youngest president ever in the West African country, and the youngest democratically elected leader of a nation in Africa’s history.
Although official results have not yet been announced, several of the 17 presidential candidates have conceded to him.
However, some provisional results showed that Faye was ahead in the first round of voting.
According to reports, Faye has won about 53.7% of votes in Senegal’s presidential election, as against the ruling coalition candidate Amadou Bataking 36.2%.
Faye, speaking for the first time after the election, vowed to fight corruption and reform the economy.
“I pledge to govern with humility and transparency and to fight corruption at all levels. I pledge to devote myself fully to rebuilding our institutions,” he said during his first speech as president-elect, restating promises made during his campaign.
Just a few months ago, Faye was sitting in a prison cell. Everything changed for him when the party’s firebrand leader, Ousmane Sonko, who was also detained, was charged with insurrection in July and barred from running in elections to succeed President Macky Sall.
That cleared the way for Faye to emerge from the shadow of his former boss and eventually from prison, take over the race and on Monday, the day of his 44th birthday, emerged as victor after his opponent conceded defeat.
The New Diplomat gathered that his supporters had begun to flood the streets of Dakar, the capital of Senegal, in jubilation as initial results indicated that he had taken the lead in the race.
If declared winner in the presidential race by the National Autonomous Electoral Commission (CENA), Faye, at age 44, would etch his name in Senegal’s history books as the youngest president ever elected.
Faye, a Senegalese politician and a former tax inspector, was born in 1980. He was the former general secretary of the dissolved PASTEF and is running for president in the 2024 election in place of disqualified candidate Ousmane Sonko.
Faye obtained his baccalaureate in 2000 and later secured a master’s degree in law.
Subsequently, he passed competitive exams, gaining admission to both the National School of Administration (ENA) and the magistracy in 2004.
He later opened a career as a tax inspector in the Tax and Estates department post-graduation. There, Faye forged a friendship with Sonko, a fellow alum from the same school and a future Politician in Senegal.
In his political career, initially a guest at the party’s inception, Faye swiftly rose to prominence within PASTEF. He played a pivotal role as one of the ideologues and architects of Sonko’s presidential program in 2019, where Sonko secured nearly 16% of the vote, finishing third.
In February 2021, Faye assumed the role of general secretary of PASTEF following Sonko’s arrest on rape allegations. He endeavored to unite the opposition for the 2022 elections, resulting in the ‘Liberate the People’ alliance winning 56 seats.
Amid uncertainties over Sonko’s eligibility for the presidential election, PASTEF endorsed Faye in November 2023 as its candidate for the 2024 presidential election, despite his detention. Although running as an independent after PASTEF’s dissolution, Faye’s candidacy was validated by the Senegalese Constitutional Council.
On 15 March 2024, a day after Faye’s release from jail, he launched his presidential campaign, garnering support from former president Abdoulaye Wade and his Senegalese Democratic Party (PDS), further bolstering his electoral prospects.
Throughout his campaign, Faye pledged to create jobs, combat corruption, and review energy contracts. He is running under the slogan “Diomaye mooy Ousmane,” hoping to leverage Sonko’s popularity among Senegal’s youth.
Faye’s imprisonment in April 2023, and subsequent release in March 2024, marked significant events in his political journey. During his detention, political tensions rose, leading to widespread protests and calls for electoral transparency.
Regarding his political positions, Faye advocates for system change and left-wing pan-Africanism, emphasizing Senegal’s sovereignty. He vows to reduce presidential powers, fight corruption, and implement monetary reforms, among other initiatives to enhance Senegal’s economic and social development.
