The Constitutional Council in Senegal has formally announced its “incompetence” to address an opposition appeal disputing the reintegration of former Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko into the National Assembly, a move that preceded his election as president of the institution on May 26.

Just days following his dismissal from the prime ministerial office, Ousmane Sonko, the influential leader of the Pastef party, which commands a significant majority in Parliament, was reinstated to the Assembly and subsequently elected to its top leadership position.

no further recourse for the opposition

The opposition vehemently contested Sonko’s election, asserting that his re-entry into the parliamentary ranks constituted a clear breach of internal rules, going so far as to label the situation an “institutional coup d’état.”

With this decision, the opposition now finds itself without any further legal avenues for appeal. Previously barred from participating in the March 2024 presidential election, Ousmane Sonko ascended to the role of Prime Minister in April 2024, following the electoral triumph of his close ally, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, who secured the nation’s presidency.

As the leading candidate for Pastef, the former Prime Minister secured an impressive 130 out of 165 parliamentary seats during the November 2024 legislative elections. However, he had previously relinquished his parliamentary mandate to continue serving as the head of government.

“we will not participate in this charade”

The opposition maintained that for Mr. Sonko to legitimately resume his role as a deputy, he should have first resigned from his Prime Ministerial duties at the time, even if it meant a temporary tenure in the National Assembly before potentially returning to government. Opposition figures accused the parliamentary majority of “installing Ousmane Sonko, someone who had already forfeited his deputy mandate and cannot rightfully reclaim it.”

“We refuse to be part of this charade,” stated opposition deputy Abdou Mbow in late April. Nevertheless, following the Constitutional Council’s ruling, the Pastef leader retains his position at the helm of the National Assembly. From this influential post, he is poised to potentially wield a significant counter-power against President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, his erstwhile ally with whom a clear political divergence has now emerged.