DAKAR, Senegal – Senegal’s political landscape is buzzing with anticipation as the ruling party, Alliance for the Republic, has officially thrown its weight behind Prime Minister Amadou Ba as its candidate for the February 2024 presidential election. Ba, a 62-year-old former tax inspector with experience in key ministries like foreign affairs and finance, promises to lead the West African nation towards “greater peace and prosperity.”
His nomination, endorsed by party delegates on Thursday, comes after incumbent President Macky Sall, nearing the end of his second term and barred from seeking another, publicly declared Ba his preferred successor. This move solidified Ba’s position as a frontrunner, though analysts warn of a crowded and competitive field.
Over 200 individuals, including former Prime Minister Mahammed Boun Abdallah Dionne and ex-Interior Minister Aly Ngouille Ndiaye, have expressed interest in vying for the presidency. Ba, however, boasts Sall’s backing and a track record praised by the current president as “exceptional.”
“The first challenge facing you will be the challenge of illegal migration and youth employment through new mechanisms to be invented,” Sall cautioned at the nomination ceremony. Ba, in response, vowed to build upon Sall’s legacy and “do even better and faster.”
But Ba’s path to the presidency won’t be smooth sailing. Opposition leader Ousmane Sonko, a fiery 49-year-old politician who came third in the 2019 election, looms large as a formidable contender. He recently secured a court ruling reinstating his eligibility to run, though state lawyers have appealed the decision.
The electoral landscape remains dynamic, with candidate registration open until December 26th and the Constitutional Council set to finalize eligibility by month’s end.