Senegal Opposition Candidate Closing In On Victory, Ruling Camp Contests

Following years of turmoil and political turmoil, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, the anti-establishment candidate from Senegal, looked to be winning the presidential election early on Monday. Meanwhile, the ruling coalition declared that a second round of voting would undoubtedly take place.

Whoever wins will be responsible for handling the money from soon-to-be-produced oil and gas reserves and guiding Senegal, which is seen as a model of democracy in coup-hit West Africa, out of its current predicament.

There was a great deal of uncertainty regarding the poll's conclusion because an absolute majority is needed to win in the first round and official results are not anticipated until the end of the week.

Figure of opposition Voters had been promised both significant change and a left-wing pan-Africanist presidential platform by Faye.
Provisional results from individual polling stations released by local media and on social media showed him to be well ahead of Amadou Ba, the former prime minister of the ruling coalition.
According to early results from the current vote count, at least seven presidential candidates congratulated Faye.

"Congratulations to Bassirou Diomaye Faye on his unquestionable victory," Anta Babacar Ngom, the sole female contender, wrote on X, the previous Twitter platform.

"On his fine victory, clearly achieved in view of the very strong trends that are emerging," Dethie Fall complimented Faye.

Out of a crowded field of 17 candidates, Faye, 44, and Ba, 62, who are both former tax inspectors, had emerged as the favourites to win.
Clapping and dancing to the sound of drums and klaxons, hundreds of people gathered late on Sunday outside Faye's campaign headquarters in Dakar, the capital.

Chanting "to the (presidential) palace," young people riding motorbikes marched through the streets.

The mood among the handful of supporters at Ba's headquarters was more solemn.

On the other hand, Ba's campaign management stated that its specialists predicted that it would "certainly be, in the worst case scenario, in a second-round."

It further claimed that Faye's side was attempting "manipulation."

"Senegal's descent into a populist adventure is not inevitable," the statement continued.

"Make the shift choice"
A win by Faye, the opposition, would signal a change in Senegal's structure.

The opponent of the status quo has promised to combat corruption, restore national "sovereignty," and divide riches more widely.
Senegal is expected to begin producing hydrocarbons later this year, and he has also pledged to renegotiate contracts for mining, gas, and oil that have been inked with international corporations.

"As I cast my vote earlier on Sunday, I remained confident about the choice for the change that I can embody better than any other candidate."

Meanwhile, Ba presents himself as the successor to departing President Macky Sall.

Both candidates positioned themselves as the most suitable choice for younger voters in a county where twenty percent of the population is under twenty.

Earlier in the day, 26-year-old shopkeeper Diaraaf Gaye declared, "I voted for Diomaye without thinking."

With young people in charge, it's time for the nation to get back on track.

"Attained my goal at last"
The referendum in Senegal was scheduled for February 25, but Sall abruptly postponed it at the last minute, resulting in the deadliest political crisis in decades.

Sunday's voting was open to almost 7.3 million Senegalese citizens.

Many voters had risen early to pray before daybreak and then proceeded straight to the polls, as they stood patiently in queue outside the voting places.

"We made it there at last. Mita Diop, a 51-year-old trader, said, "May God be praised." "Senegal has had numerous upheavals recently, making these difficult times for the country."

Young people had "massively" turned out to vote, according to opposition icon Ousmane Sonko, who was denied the right to vote because of a defamation conviction.

Sonko remarked, "We are convinced that at the end of this day the victory will be dazzling," when he cast his ballot in Ziguinchor, his stronghold in the south, citing his endorsement of Faye and deputy.

There were hundreds of observers there from civil society, the African Union, the European Union, and the ECOWAS regional organisation.

Voting was conducted "calmly, efficiently, and (in a) very orderly manner," according to Malin Bjork, director of the EU mission.

Sall tried to postpone the vote until December, but Senegal's highest constitutional body overruled him, forcing him to reschedule for March 24. This caused a hurried campaign that coincided with Ramadan, a month when Muslims fast. This happened after weeks of misunderstanding.

Sall's legacy of mass arrests, ongoing poverty, 20 percent unemployment, and thousands of refugees perilously travelling to Europe year would be passed down to Ba, his hand-picked successor.

Since 2021, there have been numerous unrest occurrences that resulted in hundreds of arrests and dozens of deaths, largely due to a standoff between firebrand Sonko and the authorities.