Before the official announcement of the winner in the Senegal presidential election, Amadou Ba, who is from the ruling coalition and a former Prime Minister, has already congratulated Bassirou Diomaye Faye, the main opposition candidate, on his win.
The victory of 44-year-old Bassirou Faye is likely to transform the political scene in Senegal, which is known as one of Africa’s fastest-growing economies with a stable democracy.
Bassirou Faye, who was new to politics and used to work as a tax inspector, had been jailed just 10 days before the election due to charges his supporters claim were based on political reasons. Now, he is unexpectedly leading against Amadou Ba, who was the government’s preferred candidate, in the first round of the presidential election, which was postponed.
Although the Autonomous National Electoral Commission of the country has not yet officially declared the winner, early results from Sunday evening’s vote end show Faye is in the lead.
Faye’s supporters have started celebrating in the streets of Dakar, with local media highlighting the vote trends that favor him.
The final election results are expected by the end of the week. Faye needs a clear majority to win without going to a second round of voting. He has won over many voters with his promise for big changes, including support for left-wing pan-Africanism, regaining sovereignty, and ensuring wealth is shared fairly.
His campaign got a boost from early results at the polling stations and a lot of support on social media and from local media.
In a gesture of solidarity, seven other presidential candidates congratulated Faye on his apparent early lead over Ba.
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