44-year-old Senegal’s opposition candidate set to win presidential poll 

Senegal is about to elect a 44-year-old opposition candidate, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, as president of the French-speaking African country.

 

 

Faye is currently leading in the early results of Senegal’s presidential election, which has spurred his followers to troop out in celebration on the streets of the capital, Dakar.

 

While Faye’s main rival, Amadou Ba, from the ruling coalition said a run-off might happen to determine the winner, at least five of the 19 candidates in the race issued statements congratulating Faye.

 

 

Ba, a former Senegalese prime minister said, “For our part, and considering the feedback of the results from our team of experts, we are certain that, in the worst case scenario, we will go to a run-off”.

 

Reports revealed that millions took part in a peaceful day of voting to elect Senegal’s fifth president after three years of unprecedented political turbulence that triggered violent anti-government protests and bolstered support for the opposition.

 

 

If there are no upsets in the results, Faye, born 1980 is set to become the next Senegalese President.

 

Faye is a Senegalese politician and a former tax inspector, who also served as the General Secretary of dissolved PASTEF.

 

He contested the highest political position in the West African country in place of disqualified candidate Ousmane Sonko.

 

Senegalese voters had a choice of 19 contenders to replace Sall, who is stepping down after a second term marred by unrest over the prosecution of opposition leader Sonko.

 

 

The incumbent was not on the ballot for the first time in Senegal’s history. His ruling coalition picked Ba, 62, as its candidate.