Outside Ousmane Sonko’s residence in the Keur Gorgui district of Dakar, supporters of the Pastef-Les Patriotes party gathered in growing numbers. Chanting “Sonko! Sonko!”, they waved placards and waved the party’s colors. Among them was Nourdine Diallo, a longtime campaign volunteer who had staked everything on the alliance between Sonko and President Bassirou Diomaye Faye.

“This betrayal has shattered us. We campaigned on the principle that ‘Diomaye is Sonko, and Sonko is Diomaye.’ These weren’t empty words—they were a lived reality. We told Senegalese voters these two men were brothers by party, by ideology, and by destiny. Now we’re left wondering what happened to that promise.”

Institutional clash looms as Assembly convenes

The political earthquake began when President Faye abruptly dismissed Prime Minister Sonko following a heated parliamentary session where Sonko openly criticized key government policies. The move has plunged Senegal into an institutional standoff that will reach a climax today as legislators gather for a special session.

The agenda includes two critical votes: first, the potential reinstatement of Sonko as a deputy (he had suspended his mandate to serve as PM), and second, the election of a new Assembly president to replace El Hadj Malick Ndiaye, who resigned Sunday after Sonko’s dismissal. The move puts Sonko in pole position to become the second-highest-ranking official in the country—an outcome that could dramatically shift the balance of power.

Political analyst Malao Kanté warns this scenario carries grave risks: “While Sonko represents a fresh face in the opposition, his party now holds a parliamentary majority. This creates a dangerous precedent where a confidence vote against the next PM could paralyze the state. Senegal stands on the brink of institutional gridlock.”

Opposition cries foul over constitutional breach

The Pastef-Les Patriotes party has gone into crisis mode. Several high-ranking members resigned in protest, while parliamentary group leader Aïssata Tall Sall has declared Malick Ndiaye’s resignation null and void, accusing him of violating Assembly regulations. She has called on President Faye to refer the matter to the Constitutional Council, warning that allowing Sonko’s reinstatement would constitute a constitutional coup.

“African history is littered with leaders who overstayed their mandates—Compaoré, Sankara, Lumumba. But this generation is different. We’re not repeating past mistakes; we’re writing a new chapter where institutions matter. If Faye doesn’t act, Sonko won’t stop at the Assembly—he’ll come for the presidency itself.”

In the early hours of Monday, Faye appointed banking executive Ahmadou Al Aminou Mohamed Lô as the new Prime Minister. A former minister and Central Bank of West African States official, Lô faces the daunting task of steering Senegal through what the outgoing PM described as a pivotal turning point requiring national unity.