How kasala make Senegal President Faye sack Prime Minister Sonko

President of Senegal, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, don sack im Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko on Friday, 22 May. Dis move officially end dia collabo for Senegal.

Dis sack mean say President Faye dissolve di govment wey leader of Pastef bin dey lead.

As im enta power wit di slogan "Diomaye moy Sonko, Sonko moy Diomaye" ("Diomaye na Sonko, and Sonko na Diomaye"), di two men bin get strong and close political alliance during dia victory ova ex-president Macky Sall.

But nearly two years afta dem enta power, tensions between President Faye and Prime Minister Sonko don becom public knowledge.

Di way two of dem dey exercise of power don gradually reveal dia differences wey dey put di head of state against di man wey despite anytin still be di central figure of Pastef.

Ousmane Sonko imsef bin don tok say im fit return to di opposition. For im part, Bassirou Diomaye Faye bin make di Prime Minister continue im tenure sake of di confidence wey im get on am, and im bin tok say im go replace am anyday wey im lose dat confidence.

Di sack wey dem bin announce on 22 May formalise di break-up of dis two ogbonge allies wey dia relationship until now, dey like wetin no go fit break but signs bin don dey show say wahala dey.

Tested partnership wey dey show cracks in power

Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye bin try to remove anytin wey no dey clear about im relationship wit im Prime Minister for one interview wit di local press on Saturday, 2 May.

President Faye bin recently acknowledge publicly say disagreements dem between dem ova certain political choices.

For im part, President Faye recall say differences don always exist between im and Ousmane Sonko, but so far, dem bin dey manage am responsibly.

However, dis statements bin dey hide di kasala between di two of dem.

Di differences between President Faye and im Prime Minister Sonko don begin show well-well.

As President Faye announce di appointment of Ms Aminata Touré to restructure di coalition wey bring am to power, di political bureau of Pastef (African Patriots of Senegal for Work, Ethics and Fraternity), wey Ousmane Sonko dey lead don distance diasef from dis choice. Dem say e "no share either di values or di principles" of di pesin wey di president select.

Pastef tok say President Diomaye Faye "no get di power to dismiss" di pesin wey bin dey hold di post, wey be close associate of Ousmane Sonko.

Diomaye and Sonko enta power for March 2024, and na one coalition wey pipo sabi as Diomaye-Président bin support dem.

Since dem rise to di top of di state, di task of restructuring di coalition land for Ms Aïda Mbodj hand, some pipo dey call her "Sonko mother" becos of her closeness to di leader of Pastef.

Di position dey highly contested by certain segments of di presidential majority. Aïda Mbodj start di restructuring work, wey lead to di establishment of new entity.

Dis Tuesday, President Faye thank her and appoint Ms Aminata Touré, wey be former prime minister, to carry out di restructuring of di Diomaye-Président coalition.

How to understand di events wey dey unfold

Di kasala bin start wit one letter wey get 11 November 2025 date, signed by President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, wia im end di tenure of Ms Aïda Mbodj as di head of di Diomaye-Président coalition, afta e tank her for her commitment during di victory of 24 March 2024.

For di document, President Faye announce di reorganisation of di coalition in order to make am "more efficient and beta structured".

E say di appointment of Ms Aminata Touré go lead di process of reviving di coalition activities.

Aminata Touré na former general supervisor of di election campaign within di framework of di Diomaye-Président coalition.

Statements by Sonko for di "Tera meeting"

Dis differences, wey don come into public between President Faye and im Prime Minister dey come three days afta Pastef' "Tera meeting" of 8 November 2025.

During di large gathering wey hapun for di car park of di Léopold Sédar Senghor stadium for Dakar last Saturday, Ousmane Sonko say "any restructuring of di Diomaye-Président coalition dem must do am around Pastef, wey be di majority party and di driving force of di presidential coalition".

Speaking to im supporters, Sonko bin no gree enta into di coalition during di last legislative elections of November 2024, as im prefer to enta alone under di sole banner of Pastef.

Ousmane Sonko and di party bin win 130 out of di 165 seats for di National Assembly.

"Dis na to prevent allies wey no dey loyal from taking advantage of di parliamentary seats wey dem bin allocate to dem to obstruct Pastef," e tok.

Im also call for certain political figures within majority wey go dey side-lined, but im no name dem. Im cite wetin im describe as cases wey dey involve questionable financial management.

For di statement, Pastef say e recognise only Ms Aïda Mbodj to continue di work, wey be di restructuring of di presidential majority.

Diomaye-Sonko: di difference dey asserted and acknowledged

Between President Diomaye Faye and di head of govment, dem bin don acknowledge di differences wey dem get and bin also accept am bifor.

During di "Tera meeting", Sonko bin tok well-well about dis aspect of dia relationship.

"Wen I choose Bassirou Diomaye Faye as Pastef candidate for di presidential election, I bin know, im bin know too, say we no dey always agree on evri point. Wen we enta power, wen im bin make me im Prime Minister, Im know, me sef know say we no dey always agree on evri point," im tok..

Im continue to explain bifor im supporters wey come in large numbers from all regions of di kontri. Im tok say im no go "be di source of a split with Bassirou Diomaye Faye" and say im know say im too sabi say im "no go want to be di source of any split wey go happun between two of us".

For many press conferences wit tori pipo, President Faye dey always acknowledge say sometimes im dey get differences wit di ex-head of govment.

But im no dey see am as threat. On di contrary, im say im bin want a "veri strong Prime Minister" and im bin want to "strengthen im powers".

To di ones wey tok say Sonko bin dey eye im position, im bin reply say: "I no want am to eye am. I want make im look am well-well. I hope say one day im go sidon for dis chair," im tok as im add say im "work for ten years to elect Sonko as president witout success, and in 10 days, Sonko succeed to get me elected president".