During a significant media address this Tuesday, the leader of PASTEF, Ousmane Sonko, provided a detailed account of the events leading to his departure from the administration of President Bassirou Diomaye Faye. His remarks serve to clear up weeks of intense public conjecture regarding the nature of their political separation.

The meeting at the Palace

According to Ousmane Sonko, the initiative for the split came directly from the Head of State, who summoned him to the presidential palace. During this encounter, President Bassirou Diomaye Faye reportedly expressed that their professional partnership could no longer proceed. The President pointed to several of Sonko‘s public statements as the primary reason for the breakdown in their collaboration.

Faced with this situation, Ousmane Sonko stated that he chose to facilitate the transition rather than resist it. He recounted telling the President: “I will follow your lead. If you wish to dismiss me, you must simply take full responsibility for that choice and do it.”

A previous proposal for the National Assembly

The PASTEF leader also shared that he had previously suggested an alternative arrangement to the President. Ousmane Sonko had proposed leaving the executive branch to take the helm of the National Assembly, promising to remain a staunch supporter of the government’s objectives from that position. However, this proposal was ultimately not adopted.

Determined to clarify the situation for the citizens of Sénégal, Ousmane Sonko emphasized that he would not take the blame for the end of their partnership. He made it clear that the decision to end their joint governance was a choice made at the highest level of the state, concluding that he could not personally endorse the responsibility for this political divorce.

By Boureima Amadou — Reporter