Senegal minister slams speaker Sonko over constitution reform clash

During a press conference held by the Diomaye Président coalition, Minister Abdourahmane Diouf responded sharply to the ongoing debate over constitutional revision. He asserted that as long as Bassirou Diomaye Faye remains head of state, no one will be able to sow instability in Senegal. Diouf recalled that the president had already provided guarantees in 2024 regarding the preservation of institutional stability and social peace.

The minister also revisited the 2024 electoral sequence, stating that Ousmane Sonko initially supported postponing the presidential election before eventually backing Bassirou Diomaye Faye’s candidacy during the campaign. According to Diouf, the National Assembly speaker has now moved away from that dynamic, going so far as to accuse him of betraying the president and engaging in political manipulation around the institutional reforms under discussion.

Diouf further noted that previous presidents, though they also held parliamentary majorities, did not use that position of strength to amend the constitution in the manner now proposed. In his view, had such changes been made earlier, the current political actors would not be in a position to defend the reforms they now champion.

Abdourahmane Diouf was particularly aggressive toward Ousmane Sonko, reminding him that he had previously presented himself as the guardian of the revolution—a posture Diouf considers incompatible with his current responsibilities as head of the National Assembly. ‘We have nothing to do with a charlatan guide,’ Diouf declared.