DAKAR-(MaraviPost)-On May 22, 2026, President Bassirou Diomaye Faye dismissed Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko and dissolved the government.
The move came after months of mounting tension over economic policy and the country’s growing debt burden.
Following the dismissal, the Speaker of the National Assembly, El Malick Ndiaye, resigned from his position.
Ndiaye said he was stepping down to clear a path for Sonko’s political comeback.
On May 26, 2026, lawmakers voted overwhelmingly to elect Ousmane Sonko as the new Speaker of Parliament.
The vote passed 132 to 1, underscoring Sonko’s dominance in the legislature.
Sonko’s party, PASTEF, holds a commanding majority of 130 out of 165 seats in Parliament.
As Speaker, Sonko is no longer an appointed subordinate of the President.
He now controls the legislative branch of government.
This shift gives him immense legal power to block the President’s future government appointments.
He can also delay or reject budgets and major policy proposals.
The sudden change effectively splits Senegal’s leadership in two.
It creates a tense political “cohabitation” between the President and the head of the Legislature.
President Faye and Speaker Sonko are now bitter political rivals.
In response, President Faye has moved to appoint a new Prime Minister to replace Sonko.
Analysts say the standoff could paralyze decision-making in Dakar.
Sonko’s new role raises questions about his independence to make decisions.
Legally, he is free to act without presidential direction.
Politically, the situation sets up a major confrontation within Senegal’s executive and legislative branches.
The crisis marks one of the most dramatic realignments in Senegalese politics since Faye and Sonko came to power together in 2024.
International observers are watching closely to see whether the two leaders can coexist or if the split will deepen into a constitutional impasse.
For now, Senegal faces an uncertain period of divided authority and heightened political risk.
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