Allegations of ‘vampirism’ in political fund management against Ousmane Sonko
Political commentator Badara Gadiaga launched a scathing critique of Ousmane Sonko’s stewardship of political funds during his tenure as head of government. Appearing on the Jakaarlo program this Friday, Gadiaga highlighted that 142 days have passed since the former Prime Minister’s dismissal from the Primature on May 22, 2026. He asserted that Sonko, throughout this period, had nearly depleted the entire 1.77 billion CFA francs allocated for political expenditures. Gadiaga claimed that upon his departure, Ousmane Sonko left less than 70 million CFA francs for his successor, Al Aminou Lo.
Performing a precise calculation, the commentator determined that this expenditure translated to approximately 12 million CFA francs disbursed daily during Ousmane Sonko’s time at the Primature. He starkly contrasted this figure with the circumstances at the university during the same period, specifically recalling the tragic death of young Abdoulaye Ba, who was desperately seeking his 40,000 CFA franc scholarship payment. For Badara Gadiaga, this sharp disparity exposes a fundamental contradiction between the public rhetoric surrounding the Economic and Social Recovery Plan (PRES) and the actual management of public finances by the former head of government. Gadiaga further noted that Sonko reportedly had access to over 300,000 CFA francs monthly from these political funds. It is this profound disconnect, between the plight of struggling students and the vast sums reportedly utilized at the Primature, that the commentator labeled as « vampirism ».
Performing a precise calculation, the commentator determined that this expenditure translated to approximately 12 million CFA francs disbursed daily during Ousmane Sonko’s time at the Primature. He starkly contrasted this figure with the circumstances at the university during the same period, specifically recalling the tragic death of young Abdoulaye Ba, who was desperately seeking his 40,000 CFA franc scholarship payment. For Badara Gadiaga, this sharp disparity exposes a fundamental contradiction between the public rhetoric surrounding the Economic and Social Recovery Plan (PRES) and the actual management of public finances by the former head of government. Gadiaga further noted that Sonko reportedly had access to over 300,000 CFA francs monthly from these political funds. It is this profound disconnect, between the plight of struggling students and the vast sums reportedly utilized at the Primature, that the commentator labeled as « vampirism ».