Saint-Louis’s Pastef leader fires back at Abba Mbaye’s criticism

In a sharp retort broadcast on national television, Modou Mbène Guèye, the Pastef coordinator for Saint-Louis, directly confronted the recent remarks made by former deputy Abba Mbaye. The exchange unfolded during a televised debate where Mbaye sharply criticized Ousmane Sonko, accusing him of sacrificing allies to consolidate power. Guèye dismissed these claims outright, branding them as a demonstration of political betrayal.

During the program, Mbaye drew a parallel between Sonko’s alleged strategy and the approach now reportedly adopted by President Bassirou Diomaye Faye. « He sacrificed all his allies to secure a majority. This is the same restructuring President Diomaye Faye is attempting with Kiiraay, » Mbaye asserted. Guèye’s response was immediate and scathing, rejecting the comparison and questioning Mbaye’s own political consistency.

Political betrayal or amnesia?

Guèye accused Mbaye of suffering from a severe case of political amnesia, arguing that the former deputy had contributed nothing to the election of both President Faye and Prime Minister Sonko. Instead, he had frequently criticized them in the past. « Abba Mbaye has no principles, no convictions, and no ethics—only ingratitude defines him, » Guèye declared, before revisiting several of Mbaye’s past statements.

The Saint-Louis coordinator highlighted Mbaye’s controversial remarks from his time as a deputy elected under the Yewwi Askan Wi banner in 2022. Shortly after his election, Mbaye had publicly stated he owed nothing to anyone, a stance Guèye found inconsistent with earlier campaign claims. During the legislative race, Mbaye had allegedly accused Sonko of depriving him of the mayoralty. Guèye also referenced Mbaye’s disrespectful comments about the late Socialist Party leader Ousmane Tanor Dieng and his earlier opposition to the formation of the 14th legislature.

Saint-Louis stands firm with Pastef

Despite Mbaye’s recent alignment with the presidential camp, Guèye reaffirmed that Saint-Louis remains unwavering in its support for Pastef. He emphasized the ongoing grassroots efforts in the region, including the successful distribution of 3,750 party membership cards in the commune. A second phase of this mobilization campaign is set to launch this Saturday, August 8th, further solidifying local commitment to the party’s vision.