…the story of his ascension

Bassirou Diomaye Faye has been sworn-in as the new President of Senegal. Faye turned 44 on March 25, 2024, day of the Presidential election. He becomes the youngest elected President in Africa.

Facts About Faye’s Emergence As President of Senegal

Bassirou Diomaye Faye has been thrust into the centre of Senegalese politics more than a week after he was released from prison along with his firebrand mentor Ousmane Sonko. Ousmane was earlier disqualified from standing in the election because of a defamation conviction. Incidentally, Faye turned 44 on the date of electron, March 25, 2024.

The 44-year-old Faye, an opposition Candidate contested the elections as an Independent Candidate due to the earlier dissolution of his Patriots of Senegal (PASTEF) Party last July for causing unrest.

The PASTEF party, which was founded by Sonko in 2014, endorsed Bassirou Diomaye Faye, the newly elected Senegalese President.

The ruling party’s candidate Amadou Ba, who is also the immediate former Prime Minister, had conceded defeat and congratulated Bassirou Diomaye Faye on his first-round election victory.

By his emergence, Bassirou Diomaye Faye  becomes  Senegal’s youngest ever President, and the youngest elected president currently serving in Africa. 

Bassirou Diomaye Faye is reportedly married to Marie Khone Faye and Absa Faye.

His first woman (on veil) is named Marie Khone Faye, a mother of four children (3 boys and a girl) with Diomaye.

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His second woman is Absa Faye, an elegant and classy woman, who has yet to have a child with the Senegalese President.

Per Phillkay:

Photo: Outgoing Senegal President; Macky Sall (middle), Senegal President Diomaye Faye (right) and Ousmane Sonko (left).

In 2014, Ousmane Sonko (then 39 years) invited his friend and fellow tax worker, Diomaye Faye (then 34 years), and other political newbies to form a political party, PASTEF. The Party was led by Sonko and dominated by young Senegalese. Faye was the Secretary General while Sonko was the leader.

In 2017, PASTEF competed for legislative election, they only got 1 seat out if 165.

In 2019, Sonko stood as the Presidential candidate of PASTEF, while Faye was his campaign manager. At the Presidential election, Sonko finished third with 687,523 (15.67%) votes, behind Preaident Macky Sall (1st) and a former Prime Minister Idrissa Seck (2nd).

In 2022, PASTEF participated at the National Assembly election, and won 56 out of 165 seats. It became clear that Sonko was in strong position to win the 2024 Presidential election.

In 2023, President Sall government convicted Sonko on a trumped up charge just to block him from running for President. The Government equally arrested Faye and imprisoned him just to keep them out. By July 2023, the Government disbanded PASTEF as a political party. Later that year, the government disqualified Sonko from running for President citing the conviction. But Sonko and PASTEF had a backup plan, Faye. Faye was sponsored as backup candidate for President while Sonko challenged his disqualification at the court. Though the court reversed it, the government didn’t implement the reversal.

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The election was scheduled for March 24 after the opposition resisted its proposed postponement.

On March 14 (10 days to the election), the government released Sonko and Faye from jail. Immediately they were released, Sonko and PASTEF announced Faye as their candidate. They campaigned for just 9 days, and was backed by young people of Senegal.

At the election that was held on March 24, Faye polled 2,434,110 votes (54.34%), defeating the immediate past Prime Minister Amadou Ba who polled 1,603,713 votes (35.8%). Ba was the candidate President Sall ruling coalition.

Today, April 2nd April, Faye and Sonko will form the Government of Senegal. I wish them success.

Here are ten brief important points to know about Diomaye Faye:

  1. Senegalese origin: Diomaye Faye was born in Senegal, a West African country rich in culture and history.
  2. Prolific Writer: He is a prolific writer, having written several literary works that have been widely appreciated.
  3. Cultural Engagement: Faye is very committed to promoting African culture, especially through literature.
  4. Recurring topics: His writings often explore themes such as identity, tradition, modernity, and social change in Africa.
  5. International recognition: Received international recognition for his literary work and cultural commitment.
  6. Literary Awards: Faye may have won literary awards for his work, highlighting his talent and impact in the field of literature.
  7. Influence on Youth: As a respected figure, he likely has a significant influence on African youth, encouraging them to be interested in literature and their own culture.
  8. Social Activism: In addition to his literary work, he was also active in social causes and change movements in Africa.
  9. Education: He probably has a solid academic background, perhaps in literature or a related field, which helped shape his work and outlook.
  10. Cultural Heritage: His work contributes to preserving and promoting Africa’s cultural heritage, making it accessible to a wider audience through his writings.
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Bassirou Diomaye Faye, 44 years old has just been elected the fifth president of Senegal and becomes the youngest President of Senegal.

We hope he is committed to putting in the footsteps of Pan-Africanists committed to the just cause of Africa and all African countries respectively.