Political tensions within Senegal’s Pastef party have escalated sharply, revealing deep divisions among its ranks. In a live television appearance on TFM this past Monday, prominent political figure Aldiouma Sow launched a scathing critique of party leader Ousmane Sonko, accusing him of undergoing a radical transformation since assuming power.
Sow, now a key supporter of President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, argued that Sonko’s true nature remained concealed during the opposition years. It was only after the party’s electoral victory, he claimed, that Sonko’s leadership took on a messianic tone, a shift Sow described as fundamentally at odds with the movement’s founding principles.
During the broadcast, Sow emphasized that Pastef’s early supporters rallied behind a collective political vision, not a cult of personality. To him, Sonko’s current trajectory represents a betrayal of that vision, fueling the very criticisms once leveled against the party by its opponents. Sow went further, suggesting that Sonko’s approach has pushed the movement into a political dead end.
His remarks come amid a growing rift between Sonko and President Faye. The latter has already distanced himself from Pastef by launching an independent political platform, signaling a potential realignment within the broader political landscape.
These developments highlight the mounting pressure on Senegal’s ruling party, as internal disagreements threaten to reshape the country’s political future.
