Senegal politics: Ousmane Sonko elected assembly president amid uncertainty

From the correspondent in Dakar, Léa-Lisa Westerhoff

Ousmane Sonko dismissed concerns over his political standing on Tuesday, framing his recent removal as Prime Minister not as a setback but as an opportunity to leverage his popular mandate. Within just four days, the opposition leader made a dramatic return to center stage by securing the presidency of the National Assembly.

In a conciliatory yet firm address, Sonko pledged no institutional gridlock, no personal vendettas, and no chaos. Instead, he outlined a strategy of rigorous oversight of government actions and reserved the right to deploy every parliamentary lever at his disposal to challenge policies he deems misguided.

A “unique” power-sharing experiment

Political analyst Ellimane Haby Kane of Legs Africa describes this as an unprecedented cohabitation. Sonko, he notes, is playing the long game, prioritizing executive influence over immediate confrontation. He’s setting the tone, Kane explains, but his real goal is to shape the direction of governance.

The dispute over President Bassirou Diomaye Faye’s failure to consult the Pastef party before naming the Prime Minister and cabinet will continue, Kane predicts. Just hours after Sonko’s victory, Pastef officials revealed preliminary contacts with presidential aides regarding government formation—only to later impose conditions for their participation.