Aldiouma Sow refutes secret pact claims and warns of destructive messianism in Pastef

In a detailed public statement, Aldiouma Sow, a prominent member of the National Political Bureau (BPN) of Pastef les Patriotes, has stepped forward to defend party officials who have chosen to support President Bassirou Diomaye Faye. This intervention arrives as the political divide between the Head of State and his former Prime Minister, Ousmane Sonko, continues to create significant waves across the Sénégalaise political landscape.

A commitment to national dialogue

According to Sow, the political dialogue initiated by President Faye is not a mere tactical maneuver but a deep-seated conviction. He emphasized that this approach is a continuation of the President’s call for national unity first voiced in May 2025. “For him, dialogue is not a variable of situational adjustment,” Sow remarked, pointing out that the President dedicated several days to discussions despite having no constitutional or moral obligation to do so.

Denial of the Cap Manuel secret pact

Aldiouma Sow used this platform to forcefully debunk persistent rumors regarding a clandestine agreement allegedly brokered at the Cap Manuel prison before Bassirou Diomaye Faye’s release. “Candidate Bassirou Diomaye Faye never entered into any secret pact at Cap Manuel prison,” he stated firmly. This declaration stands in direct opposition to recent claims by Ousmane Sonko, who asserted that a formal agreement exists between himself and the current President. Conversely, Sow hinted that it was other candidates who, while incarcerated, reportedly swore on the Quran to hand over power to Sonko upon reaching the presidency.

The threat of internal party shifts

The BPN member further criticized what he describes as “destructive messianism,” a trend he believes has threatened the party’s integrity since 2022. He highlighted the legislative and local elections of that period as examples where veteran Pastef cadres were sidelined in favor of eleventh-hour allies. Sow warned that if this pattern continues in upcoming elections, it will lead to the political erasure of the party’s grassroots base, urging local coordinators to resist this internal “diktat.”

Support for government ministers

Addressing the ministers who have remained in the executive branch despite partisan pressure, Sow offered words of encouragement. “Be proud of your choice,” he stated. He acknowledged that while they might face exclusion from digital communication groups or suspension from national party structures, their role in the broader patriotic project cannot be erased through political maneuvering.

He concluded his message by reaching out to those still undecided within the party, including deputies and other officials, inviting them to distance themselves from the current “sonkist” trajectory. “To my brothers and sisters who might still be tempted by this destructive messianism, it is not too late to change your perspective,” he urged.