Ousmane Sonko, the leader of the Pastef party, has exposed what he describes as a deliberate attempt by President Bassirou Diomaye Faye to sideline the party’s leadership during the formation of the new government led by Prime Minister Ahmadou Al Aminou Lo.
In a press briefing on June 2, Sonko criticized the president’s method of consulting outgoing ministers individually, bypassing the party’s governing bodies. “Calling members of Pastef one by one is not how we operate,” he stated. “We are a structured party with established leadership. This approach undermines our collective strength.”
Sonko went further, alleging that the president’s actions were part of a broader strategy to weaken the party. “This is a calculated move to dismantle Pastef,” he asserted. “By negotiating directly with members instead of working through the party’s structures, he seeks to fracture our unity.”
The political leader also addressed claims about his own influence within the party. “During a meeting, he insisted he was the most representative figure in Pastef. I challenged him to prove it: let him organize a rally without me. If he can gather even a hundred people—starting in his own town of Ndiaganiao, which he has never won—then we’ll talk.” Sonko dismissed the president’s assertions, stating, “He has no real standing within Pastef.”
According to Sonko, several outgoing ministers had advised the new prime minister to consult with the party leadership before finalizing appointments. However, these recommendations were ignored. “They told Al Aminou Lo that the president should engage with the party president,” Sonko explained. “Yet, he refused to meet with me or the designated representatives I had proposed.”
Sonko recounted his own attempts to steer the process toward a more inclusive approach. “I reached out to the president by phone, urging him to involve Pastef in the consultations. He declined, and days later, he continued bypassing the party by reaching out to individual members and officials, who in turn declined his invitations.”
The leader of Pastef also shed light on the circumstances of his meeting with the president, which took place after mediation efforts led by Prime Minister Al Aminou Lo. “After persistent mediation, including by the prime minister, we finally met late Monday evening (June 1),” Sonko revealed. “He asked me to visit the Presidential Palace, and I agreed to arrive the following morning at 8 AM.”
