Ousmane Sonko, the speaker of Senegal's National Assembly and former prime minister, was re-elected unanimously as president of the Pan-African Pastef party on Saturday, consolidating his position as the leading opposition figure following a dramatic falling-out with President Bassirou Diomaye Faye. Sonko received all 589 votes cast at a party congress held in Diamniadio, a satellite city outside the capital Dakar, securing a six-year mandate.

The vote marks a decisive turn in Senegal's unfolding political crisis. Faye, who won the presidency in 2024 largely thanks to Sonko's backing — Sonko had been barred from standing himself and anointed Faye as his chosen successor — dismissed Sonko as prime minister on 22 May and dissolved the government. Sonko swiftly responded by winning election as speaker of the National Assembly, and Pastef, the country's largest party in parliament, now appears to be transitioning back into opposition. Delegates at the congress were unambiguous about their goals: supporters spoke of carrying the same ambition they had held since 2019 — placing Sonko at the head of the country — into the 2029 presidential election.

The congress did not resolve the question of what to do with President Faye, who remains an honorary member of the party, or with Pastef ministers who stayed on in the new government despite Sonko's call for a boycott. Senior party figures suggested those ministers had effectively excluded themselves by remaining in government in a personal capacity rather than as Pastef representatives.

The rift has introduced significant uncertainty for the heavily indebted West African nation. President Faye, speaking before the congress, appealed for restraint.