Senegal’s Election day on February 25 marks a historic shift as President Macky Sall opts out of third term Bid.
In an unprecedented move for Senegal, President Macky Sall, declining a third term, paves the way for a new era in the country’s leadership.
Prime Minister Amadou Ba, handpicked by Sall, emerges as one of the 20 candidates approved by Senegal’s constitutional council for the upcoming presidential race.
With the incumbent absent from the ballot, Senegal anticipates a pivotal election where a candidate must secure over 50% of the vote to avoid a runoff. The countdown begins as campaigning kicks off on Feb. 4, heralding a significant chapter in the nation’s political landscape.
The following are profiles of the main contenders:
PRIME MINISTER AMADOU BA
At 62, Amadou Ba, a former economy and foreign minister, assumed the role of prime minister in September 2022, having previously served as the head of the taxation directorate before venturing into politics.
Handpicked by President Macky Sall through a comprehensive party consultation within the ruling Benno Bokk Yakaar (BBY) coalition, Ba was touted as a unifying figure by Sall. However, amidst internal dynamics, BBY faced setbacks in the 2022 local elections, losing key cities, and in the 2023 legislative election, relinquishing several seats. Analysts point out divisions within BBY, with concerns raised by some members over Ba’s lack of experience in presidential elections, contrasting with the seasoned track records of his main opponents.
FORMER DAKAR MAYOR KHALIFA ABABACAR SALL
Unrelated to the current president, Sall, aged 68, held the position of mayor in the capital city, Dakar, from 2009 to 2018.
Emerging as one of President Sall’s prominent political adversaries, he faced legal challenges when arrested in March 2017, accused of embezzling approximately $3 million in public funds. In 2018, he received a five-year jail sentence, effectively barring him from participating in the February 2019 presidential election.
President Sall pardoned him in September that year.
FORMER PRIME MINISTER IDRISSA SECK
Seasoned politician Idrissa Seck, aged 64, held the position of prime minister from 2002 to 2004 within the Senegalese Democratic Party (PDS) under former President Abdoulaye Wade.
Facing embezzlement allegations, Seck was dismissed from his role and underwent a brief period of imprisonment before his case was ultimately dismissed. In 2006, he established his own political party and contested against Wade in 2007, securing the second position.
Despite a subsequent attempt in 2012, he fell short of reaching the second round in that election.
Seck placed second in the 2019 presidential race with 21% of the vote, after which his Rewmi party joined the ruling BBY coalition with President Sall. He served as head of the Economic, Social and Environmental Council from November 2020 until April 2023.
ANTA BABACAR NGOM
Entrepreneur and a political newcomer Anta Babacar Ngom, 39, launched the Alternative for the Next Generation of Citizens (ARC) political movement in August 2023.
The daughter of the founding president of Sedima, a leading poultry production group in the West and Central Africa region, she was until recently executive director of the company, which also operates Senegal’s
FORMER PRIME MINISTER MAHAMMED BOUN ABDALLAH DIONNE
Dionne, 64, was President Sall’s third prime minister, from 2014 to 2019. He was seen as one of the frontrunners in the race to succeed Sall within the BBY coalition.
An early supporter and ally of Sall before he became president, Dionne held several positions during Sall’s two terms in office including chief of staff at the president’s office.
He announced his candidacy in September 2023 and launched his own coalition days after Sall selected Ba as the candidate for the ruling coalition.
FORMER MINISTER ALY NGOUILLE NDIAYE
Ndiaye, 59, is a former close ally of President Sall and top member of the BBY coalition. He left the coalition and resigned as minister and launched his own bid weeks after Ba was selected as the BBY candidate.
Ndiaye is mayor of the town of Linguere. A civil engineer and former bank executive, Ndiaye served as energy and interior minister before taking over the agriculture portfolio.
BASSIROU DIOMAYE FAYE
Bassirou Faye, a 43-year-old tax inspector, is running in place of jailed Senegalese opposition firebrand Ousmane Sonko who was disqualified over a defamation conviction.
Members of Sonko’s dissolved Pastef party and other parties formed a coalition and named Faye in November as a back-up candidate. Sonko later called for his supporters to vote for Faye.
Like Sonko, Faye is currently in detention, facing charges including defamation and contempt of court. He remains eligible because there has been no ruling yet against him.
Reporting by Anait Miridzhanian, Portia Crowe Editing by Bate Felix and Nick Macfie
