The 44-year-old Bassirou Diomaye Faye, a left-wing pan-Africanist was on April 2 sworn-in as the new President of Senegal. Faye has become the youngest and 5th President of Senegal since its political independence from France in 1960. He is also among the youngest leaders in West Africa as well as on the continent. With his victory at the poll, Faye has shown that the youths can aspire and be in leadership positions in Africa.
His inauguration, which was attended by many presidents from the continent and beyond, marks a fresh beginning for enduring democratic order in West Africa. Unfortunately, some countries in the sub-region have lately witnessed military interventions in politics.
Faye was elected in an election that took place on March 24, 2024. He was among the 20 candidates that stood for the poll. The election was originally scheduled for 25 February but was postponed indefinitely by the immediate past President, Macky Sall. However, the Senegalese Constitutional Council overturned the postponement and ordered the election to hold as soon as possible. Later, the government of Sall scheduled the poll for March 24.
Faye was among political opponents freed from prison 10 days before the March 24 poll. He polled 54 per cent of the votes cast in the election, which was generally adjudged to be free, fair and transparent. He defeated former governing party’s candidate, Amadou Ba. We congratulate the new president on the great feat.
Diomaye Faye’s election represents a paradigm shift in Senegalese politics as well as the leadership selection process in Africa. With the successful conduct of the poll, Senegal has shown that change in leadership is a possibility on the continent. There are also many lessons to learn from the Senegalese election. Apart from being fair and transparent, the outcome of the poll reflects the popular will of the people. We enjoin other African countries to emulate the Senegalese example. The sit-tight leaders in Africa should learn from this election as well.
We laud the government and people of Senegal for the transparent poll. We give kudos to the Sall’s administration for ensuring that the will of the people prevailed and that their wishes respected. His acceptance of the outcome of the poll and congratulating the winner is commendable.
Democracy in Africa should be allowed to grow through transparent polls. It is sad that in many African countries, electoral contests have become wars. In some of these countries, the wishes of the people are not usually respected. It is unfortunate that voter suppression, intimidation and rigging of elections are still the norm in some African countries. The electoral commissions in Africa must be truly independent for democracy to endure on the continent.
We urge the President to fulfill his electoral promises. He should not disappoint the electorate. He must also not take them for granted. It is good that the new leader has also promised that the people of Senegal will be in charge of the oil, gas and fishing sectors of the economy. He has also assured investors of conducive business climate.
However, we should remind him that the election is over. It is now time for real governance. Therefore, he should walk the talk. The President has commenced on a good note by urging his compatriots to join him in rebuilding the nation. We believe that Faye is adequately prepared for the job. He has pledged to obey the constitution and serve his people. Good enough, age is also on his side. He should hit the ground running. He should have no reason to fail.
No doubt, his biggest challenge will be the creation of massive jobs in a nation where 75 per cent of the people are under 35 years of age and the unemployment rate is 20 per cent. We enjoin the new President to get his priorities right and give Senegal a new lease of life. We congratulate him on his election victory and inauguration and urge him to ensure the security and welfare of the people of Senegal.