Senegal presidential election: Faye cruises to victory as Ba concedes defeat

Opposition leader Bassirou Diomaye Faye is set to be officially declared winner of the tightly contested presidential election as coalition’s ruling party candidate Amadou Ba conceded defeat, paving way for a paradigm shift in West Africa’s more stable democracies.

Ba, 62, had earlier said celebrations were premature, given that 50 percent of the total votes are needed to win, noting that a run-off is unlikely.

However, before the official announcement is made, the former prime minister has congratulated the 44-year-old on the victory of the first round.

“In view of the trends in the results of the presidential election and while awaiting the official proclamation, I congratulate President Bassirou Diomaye Diakhar Faye on his victory in the first round,” Ba said in a statement on Monday in the capital, Dakar.

The concession came before the Autonomous National Electoral Commission released any official results from the vote.

Faye, a former tax inspector and a staunch advocate of Pan-Africanism movement, though with no track record in governance, has promised various reforms, especially seeing that the country’s local currency regains its value.

If declared winner, Faye will be the youngest democratically elected president in Senagal and the coast of West Africa.