In a landmark ruling, the Constitutional Council declared itself “incompetent” to adjudicate a petition from opposition figures challenging the reinstatement of Ousmane Sonko to the National Assembly bench, culminating in his election as Speaker.

Just days after being dismissed as Prime Minister, the charismatic leader of the Pastef party—whose coalition holds a commanding majority in parliament—was reinstated as a deputy before ascending to the Speaker’s chair.

Opposition claims blocked

His election as Speaker was met with fierce opposition criticism, which argued that his reinstatement violated internal parliamentary procedures and amounted to an “institutional coup”. With the Constitutional Council’s decision, no further legal avenues remain open for the opposition to contest his position.

Prevented from running in the March 2024 presidential election, Sonko was appointed Prime Minister in April 2024 following the victory of his ally, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, in the presidential race.

As the leading candidate for the Pastef party, Sonko secured 130 out of 165 parliamentary seats in the November 2024 legislative elections. However, he had previously resigned from his seat to remain in his role as Prime Minister.

“We refuse to endorse this charade,” opposition leader declares

The opposition contends that Sonko should have resigned as Prime Minister before reclaiming his parliamentary seat, even temporarily, to comply with legal requirements. The ruling majority, however, maintained that Sonko was installed in a role he had already lost as a deputy, rendering his position unsustainable under parliamentary rules.

“We refuse to endorse this charade,” declared opposition lawmaker Abdou Mbow in late April. Despite the opposition’s objections, Sonko remains firmly in place as Speaker, positioning himself to wield significant influence as a potential counterbalance to President Faye—a figure once closely aligned with him but now a clear rival.