Meet Senegal's youngest presidential candidate, Ousmane Sonko

Senegal’s presidential election is scheduled for February 24. Five candidates are vying for the presidency, including incumbent President Macky Sall.

Among his opponents, Ousmane Sonko, the youngest of the candidates. At forty-four years old, this former tax official is presented as a beacon of hope.

‘‘One of the first programme to addressed, if I were to be elected, is the reconstruction of the “Emile Badiane Bridge”. Look at the state of this bridge… We will not wait to experience a second tragedy like the one of the boat “Joola”, he told a gathering of supporters at a rally in Dakar.

His removal from public administration in 2016, set the stage for this young presidential candidate’s descent into politics. In academic circles and in the interior regions of the country, Ousmane Sonko remains a formidable opponent.

‘‘What Sonko represents today is not only hope for the Senegalese people, but also for the youth in particular because, as is often said, there is politics before Sonko and politics during Sonko’‘, said Pastef party acitvist, Aliou Sow.

Sonko is seen as the rising star of Senegalese politics with strong positions on advocacy. He campaigned for the non-use of the CFA franc and a different governance, based on transparency and solidarity.

In the face of financial difficulties, Ousmane Sonko settled on participatory financing for his election campaign.