From ousted PM to potential parliamentary leader: Sonko’s swift political rebound

Just days after President Bassirou Diomaye Faye controversially dismissed him from the premiership—amid months of escalating tensions in government circles—Ousmane Sonko faces a critical vote in Parliament. On Tuesday morning, lawmakers will decide on his reinstatement as a deputy, which would clear the way for his election as Speaker of the National Assembly. The move follows Sunday’s surprise resignation of Assembly President El Malick Ndiaye, a close ally of Sonko, who had held the post since the opposition coalition secured a landslide victory with 130 seats out of 165 in the 2024 elections.

Opposition cries foul over procedural violations

Leading opposition figures argue that Sonko’s reinstatement bypasses constitutional norms. Speaking at a press briefing Monday, lawmaker Aïssata Tall Sall labeled the process a flagrant institutional coup and accused the ruling majority of rushing through a fait accompli. She contended that Sonko’s reinstatement as a deputy should not proceed until he has formally relinquished his former ministerial role, even on an interim basis. The opposition has now urged President Faye to refer the matter to the Constitutional Council for an urgent ruling to resolve the legal dispute.

Fractures widen between former allies

Ousmane Sonko’s political trajectory took a sharp turn earlier this year when he was barred from running in the 2024 presidential election due to a defamation conviction. Instead, he backed his close ally Bassirou Diomaye Faye, whose landslide victory ushered in a new era of youth-driven governance in Senegal. Yet what began as a unified front has since unraveled, culminating in Sonko’s abrupt dismissal last Friday. The rift underscores growing tensions between reformist factions within the ruling coalition, raising questions about the future stability of their political alliance.