Senegal’s electoral commission has requested the submission of sponsorship forms to the main opposition leader, Ousmane Sonko, whose eligibility for the upcoming presidential election has been under scrutiny due to a series of legal challenges over the past year. This request coincides with Sonko’s ongoing hospitalization resulting from a hunger strike initiated earlier this month and while awaiting a ruling from a West African regional court.
The ECOWAS Court of Justice has announced its intention to deliver a verdict next week regarding Senegal’s dissolution of Sonko’s political party. The Senegalese Interior Ministry had initially removed Sonko from the voter rolls after his conviction earlier this year on charges related to corrupting youth. However, this decision was subsequently overturned by a judge in the southern city of Ziguinchor, where Sonko also serves as mayor.
In an official statement released on Tuesday, the electoral commission emphasized the importance of Sonko enjoying his registered voter status with all the corresponding rights.
Sonko, who finished third in the previous presidential election, and his supporters believe that the numerous criminal allegations brought against him since 2021 are part of a coordinated effort to thwart his political ambitions in advance of the upcoming presidential election in February.
In June, Sonko was acquitted of charges related to alleged rape and death threats against a massage parlor employee. However, he was found guilty of corrupting youth and sentenced to a two-year prison term, which led to violent protests across the country.
In late July, Senegalese authorities formally disbanded Sonko’s political party and detained him. He now faces charges of incitement to insurrection, conspiracy against the state, and various other alleged offenses.
