Ousmane Sonko, leader of the PASTEF party, has shed light on the circumstances surrounding his recent removal from office. In a press conference held this Tuesday, he disclosed the details of his separation from President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, putting an end to weeks of speculation.
During the announcement, Sonko revealed that the initiative to end their working relationship came directly from the President, who summoned him to the Palace. According to Sonko, President Faye expressed that ‘the partnership can no longer continue’, citing several of Sonko’s public statements as problematic. In response, the opposition leader chose not to accept the situation passively. ‘I made it easy for him,’ Sonko stated, ‘by telling him I would follow his lead. I asked if he wanted to dismiss me—he should just take responsibility and do it.’
The former minister also disclosed that he had previously proposed to the President that he step down from the government to assume the role of National Assembly Speaker, while pledging to support Faye’s governance. However, this proposal was never acted upon.
Sonko made it clear that he refused to take the blame for the separation. ‘I could not be held accountable for this decision,’ he asserted, firmly placing the responsibility on the President’s shoulders.
