Senegal’s highest constitutional body has deemed itself “incompetent” to adjudicate an opposition appeal challenging the reintegration of former Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko into the National Assembly, followed by his election as its president on May 26.

Just days after his removal from the Prime Minister’s office, Ousmane Sonko, the influential leader of the Pastef party, which holds a substantial parliamentary majority, was reinstated to the Assembly. He was then elected to the prestigious Speaker’s position.

no further legal avenues for opposition

His election sparked immediate controversy, with the opposition arguing that his return to the legislative body violated internal parliamentary rules and constituted an “institutional coup d’état.”

With this decision from the Constitutional Council, the opposition now has no further legal recourse. Previously prevented from running in the March 2024 presidential election, Ousmane Sonko assumed the role of Prime Minister in April 2024 following the presidential victory of his close associate, Bassirou Diomaye Faye.

As the lead candidate for Pastef, the former Premier secured 130 out of 165 parliamentary seats in the November 2024 legislative elections. However, he had previously relinquished his parliamentary mandate to continue serving as head of government.

“we will not be part of this charade”

The opposition maintained that for Mr. Sonko to legitimately reclaim his parliamentary seat today, he should have first resigned from his Prime Ministerial duties to briefly serve in the National Assembly before potentially returning to government. Opposition MP Abdou Mbow had previously stated in late April, “The parliamentary majority has installed someone, Ousmane Sonko, who has already lost his mandate as a deputy and cannot regain it. We will not be part of this charade.” Nevertheless, following the Constitutional Council’s ruling, the Pastef leader retains his position at the helm of the National Assembly. From this powerful platform, he could potentially act as a significant check on President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, his former political ally with whom a clear political divergence has now emerged.