A significant shift in the Senegalese political landscape has occurred as three government ministers, including Yankhoba Diémé, have formally disassociated themselves from the Pastef party. Their decision is to instead lend their full support to President Diomaye Faye, with Diémé notably branding the former party of Ousmane Sonko as an “empty shell.”
Ministers Ibrahima Sy, Yankhoba Diémé, and Alioune Dione have decisively turned their backs on Pastef. These individuals, who were once active members alongside Ousmane Sonko prior to his departure from the Prime Minister’s office, have now clearly articulated their political path forward.
Their choice was made without hesitation. Despite their past as staunch opponents of former President Macky Sall and their strong support for Ousmane Sonko’s struggle just a few years ago, they now assert that they have chosen “the Republic” over any personal interests.
“Nothing remains of Pastef. It is now an empty shell,” declared Yankhoba Diémé, who previously served as Pastef’s departmental coordinator in Bignona, delivering a sharp critique. Alioune Dione, a former political leader of Pastef in Diourbel, affirmed, “I commit, along with all my brothers, to joining and becoming members of President Diomaye’s party.”