Senegalese opposition challenges Ousmane Sonko’s assembly reintegration at constitutional council
Opposition lawmakers in Senegal have formally petitioned the Constitutional Council, seeking to invalidate the National Assembly Bureau’s decision from May 24, 2026, which reinstated Ousmane Sonko as a Member of Parliament.
They urge the Constitutional Council to fully exercise its mandate by putting an end to what they describe as a “forgery” that “undermines the proper functioning” of the parliamentary institution.
Below is the full statement from the opposition members:
The undersigned opposition deputies within the National Assembly wish to inform the Senegalese populace and both national and international public opinion that they have lodged a formal request with the Constitutional Council. This petition aims to declare the National Assembly Bureau’s resolution of May 24, 2026, concerning the reintegration of Mr. Ousmane Sonko as a deputy, unconstitutional.
After being appointed Prime Minister and subsequently elected as a deputy in 2024, Mr. Sonko found himself in a position of incompatibility, as stipulated by Article 54 of the Constitution. By choosing to retain his governmental responsibilities, he effectively relinquished his parliamentary mandate, according to the Constitution and the internal rules then in force. His subsequent reintegration, followed by his election as President of the National Assembly on May 26, 2026, represents a blatant and clear violation of the Constitution and the fundamental principle of the separation of powers. Only the Constitutional Council, which serves as the arbiter of parliamentary mandate validity and regulator of institutions, possesses the authority to prevent such a serious act from escaping scrutiny.
Furthermore, we wish to disclose that we were compelled to resort to bailiff summonses to obtain the necessary documents for our appeal. These included the official act of Mr. Sonko’s reintegration and the minutes from the plenary session of May 26, 2026. Despite being served on June 1, 2026, by Master Abou Sall, a judicial bailiff, both the Secretary-General and the First Vice-President of the National Assembly declined to provide these documents. This refusal to furnish public documents to elected representatives of the Nation, even through official channels, constitutes a severe obstruction to the rights of deputies and to democratic transparency.
Consequently, we respectfully implore the Constitutional Council to fully embrace its role by terminating this illicit act, which gravely compromises the orderly operation of the parliamentary institution.
We reaffirm our unwavering commitment to defending the Senegalese Constitution and its democracy through exclusively legal and peaceful means. No majority, regardless of its size, stands above the Republic’s foundational law.
The signatory deputies
Daouda Dia
Aïssata Ousmane Diallo
Amadou Diallo
Raqui Diallo
Mamadou Diaw
Salimata Diop Dieng
Mbaye Dione
Thérèse Faye
Barane Fofana
Cheikh Omar Hann
Birima Mangara
Abdou Mbow
Fabineta Ndiaye
Anta Babacar Ngom
Thierno Alassane Sall
Maguette Sène
Abdoulaye Sylla
Tafsir Thioye
They urge the Constitutional Council to fully exercise its mandate by putting an end to what they describe as a “forgery” that “undermines the proper functioning” of the parliamentary institution.
Below is the full statement from the opposition members:
The undersigned opposition deputies within the National Assembly wish to inform the Senegalese populace and both national and international public opinion that they have lodged a formal request with the Constitutional Council. This petition aims to declare the National Assembly Bureau’s resolution of May 24, 2026, concerning the reintegration of Mr. Ousmane Sonko as a deputy, unconstitutional.
After being appointed Prime Minister and subsequently elected as a deputy in 2024, Mr. Sonko found himself in a position of incompatibility, as stipulated by Article 54 of the Constitution. By choosing to retain his governmental responsibilities, he effectively relinquished his parliamentary mandate, according to the Constitution and the internal rules then in force. His subsequent reintegration, followed by his election as President of the National Assembly on May 26, 2026, represents a blatant and clear violation of the Constitution and the fundamental principle of the separation of powers. Only the Constitutional Council, which serves as the arbiter of parliamentary mandate validity and regulator of institutions, possesses the authority to prevent such a serious act from escaping scrutiny.
Furthermore, we wish to disclose that we were compelled to resort to bailiff summonses to obtain the necessary documents for our appeal. These included the official act of Mr. Sonko’s reintegration and the minutes from the plenary session of May 26, 2026. Despite being served on June 1, 2026, by Master Abou Sall, a judicial bailiff, both the Secretary-General and the First Vice-President of the National Assembly declined to provide these documents. This refusal to furnish public documents to elected representatives of the Nation, even through official channels, constitutes a severe obstruction to the rights of deputies and to democratic transparency.
Consequently, we respectfully implore the Constitutional Council to fully embrace its role by terminating this illicit act, which gravely compromises the orderly operation of the parliamentary institution.
We reaffirm our unwavering commitment to defending the Senegalese Constitution and its democracy through exclusively legal and peaceful means. No majority, regardless of its size, stands above the Republic’s foundational law.
The signatory deputies
Daouda Dia
Aïssata Ousmane Diallo
Amadou Diallo
Raqui Diallo
Mamadou Diaw
Salimata Diop Dieng
Mbaye Dione
Thérèse Faye
Barane Fofana
Cheikh Omar Hann
Birima Mangara
Abdou Mbow
Fabineta Ndiaye
Anta Babacar Ngom
Thierno Alassane Sall
Maguette Sène
Abdoulaye Sylla
Tafsir Thioye