Ousmane Sonko’s National Assembly move criticised by activist Alioune Tine

The founder of the Afrikajom Center think tank, Alioune Tine, has shared his perspective on Senegal’s political landscape. He dismisses the notion of a rift between Ousmane Sonko and President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, but highlights a growing lack of alignment between them.

According to Tine, the Pastef leader made a strategic misstep by pursuing the presidency of the National Assembly. Given his presidential ambitions, Tine argues that Sonko should have stepped back after leaving the prime minister’s role, focusing instead on party management and allowing the Senegalese people to elect him in 2029.

The civil society figure also praised former National Assembly president El Malick Ndiaye, commending the work he was doing at the helm of the parliamentary chamber. Speaking on the programme Tolouway, Tine noted that Ndiaye perfectly embodied the role and met public expectations.

In Tine’s view, the top parliamentary position offers no real advantage to Sonko, as the deputies are already aligned with him. Supervision and guidance of the Assembly could have been managed from a distance, while allowing El Malick Ndiaye to continue his mission.