Six parliamentary inquiry commissions are on the agenda for the extraordinary session convened this Monday, August 10, 2026, by the National Assembly. Among them, one stands out: the probe into alleged irregularities in the awarding and execution of contracts for the ‘One Student, One Laptop’ program, managed by the Ministry of Higher Education, Research, and Innovation (MESRI) since 2017, with a total financial commitment of around 48 billion West African CFA francs. The question now circulating in political and media circles is whether this investigation is, in reality, targeting former minister Abdourahmane Diouf.

The origins of the controversy stretch back months

This issue is not new. As early as November 8, 2025, then-Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko publicly denounced irregularities in the management of higher education programs, directly implicating the administration led by Abdourahmane Diouf. The former minister responded by calling on lawmakers to establish a parliamentary inquiry commission to fully expose the facts, including the controversial construction of five university sites. Diouf also acknowledged shared responsibility alongside the Prime Minister at the time.

The Ministry of Higher Education has undergone a rapid succession of leadership: Abdourahmane Diouf, Daouda Ngom, and Boubacar Camara, who has held the position since June 1, 2026. The inquiry commission under discussion covers events dating back to 2017—long before the current administration—and thus theoretically spans the tenures of multiple ministers across different governments.

Mounting political tensions between Sonko and Diouf

The timing of this parliamentary probe coincides with a period of escalating political friction between the two figures. Abdourahmane Diouf, once a leading member of the Awalé party and a key ally of the ruling coalition, has since joined Kiiraay – Les Patriotes républicains, the new party backed by President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, signaling a definitive break with Pastef and its leader, Ousmane Sonko. For some analysts, this shift fuels speculation that the inquiry may be a pretext for political retaliation rather than a genuine legislative investigation.

The official decree convening the extraordinary session does not explicitly name Abdourahmane Diouf. Instead, the inquiry covers the entire 2017–2026 period—nearly a decade of program management involving multiple ministers and MESRI officials, with no individual singled out in the formal text.

While the timing of the inquiry aligns with Diouf’s departure from the presidential camp and his subsequent alliance with Kiiraay, no concrete evidence currently supports the claim that Sonko is targeting his former government colleague through this parliamentary process. Only the findings of the commission, once established and made public, will reveal the true extent of responsibility for the mismanagement of the 48 billion West African CFA franc program.