Ousmane Sonko, Senegal’s former prime minister, has returned to a top political post less than a week after being dismissed, winning election as speaker of the National Assembly on Tuesday.
Sonko secured 132 votes in a parliamentary session boycotted by opposition lawmakers, according to AFP. He ran unopposed as the sole candidate of PASTEF, the ruling party that holds 130 of the 165 seats in the legislature.
His election comes after President Bassirou Diomaye Faye fired him as prime minister on Friday and dissolved the entire cabinet. The dismissal marked the culmination of months of friction between the former allies, following public disagreements over party leadership and policy direction.
Days before his removal, Sonko openly criticized Faye during a parliamentary session.
Faye had appointed Sonko prime minister in April 2024, shortly after winning the presidential election in March. Sonko’s political base was widely credited with driving Faye’s victory after Sonko himself was barred from running due to legal issues and mobilized mass support for his protégé.
On Monday, Faye named economist Ahmadou Al Aminou Mohamed as the new prime minister, saying his expertise was needed to address Senegal’s debt crisis.
As speaker, Sonko replaces El Malick Ndiaye, a Faye loyalist who resigned on Sunday.
The move drew sharp criticism from the opposition. Aissata Sall, leader of the main opposition bloc, called it an “institutional coup” executed under pressure from the ruling majority. Sall argued that Sonko should have resigned as prime minister before re-entering parliament, even briefly, to be eligible for the speakership.
Sonko’s comeback consolidates his influence within PASTEF and positions him to play a central role in legislative affairs as Senegal navigates economic challenges.
