Former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Timi Frank, has strongly criticised Senegal’s President Macky Sall for unilaterally and illegally postponing the presidential election scheduled for February 25.
Frank, in a statement made available to The Guardian, described Sall’s action as a coup against Senegal’s constitution, raising concerns about the potential for political instability and even a coup in the West African nation.
Sall, through Senegal’s National Assembly, indefinitely postponed the presidential election, passing a bill that set a new date for December 15. Frank condemned this move as undemocratic, dictatorial, and a breach of the constitution that Sall had sworn to uphold. The former APC official argued that Sall’s decision amounted to an illegal extension of his tenure through the back door.
Frank accused President Sall of breaking his promise not to seek another term, emphasising that the restrictions on mobile internet access and the suppression of the media indicate a growing authoritarianism. He highlighted the chaotic voting process in the National Assembly, where opposition lawmakers were allegedly forcibly removed by government security forces.
As Senegal faces a potential crisis, Frank called on the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to intervene urgently. He specifically called on ECOWAS Chairman and President of Nigeria, President Bola Tinubu, to lead a delegation to Dakar to persuade Sall to adhere to Senegal’s constitution. Frank warned against allowing Sall to cause a needless crisis or pave the way for a forceful takeover of power.
The statement from Frank included an appeal to the United Kingdom, the United States, and the European Union to consider imposing a visa ban on President Sall. This appeal is based on Sall’s attempt, as Frank alleges, to undermine democracy in Senegal by refusing to revert to the original presidential election date of February 25.
