Former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Timi Frank, has congratulated Senegal’s newly appointed Speaker, Ousmane Sonko, while accusing President Bassirou Diomaye Faye of allegedly straying from the reformist ideals that powered his rise to office.
In a strongly worded statement issued on Wednesday, Frank said the unfolding political tensions in Senegal reflect what he described as a “betrayal of the revolutionary mandate” that brought the current administration into power under the PASTEF movement.
He argued that millions of young Senegalese who rallied behind the reform agenda anchored on accountability, sovereignty, and institutional renewal are now increasingly disillusioned by what he termed a “gradual return to the old political order.”
Frank described Sonko as the central force behind Senegal’s political transformation in recent years, noting that his leadership, resistance, and mass appeal reshaped the country’s opposition politics long before Faye’s emergence as president.
According to him, Sonko’s political influence, mass mobilisation capacity, and ideological consistency made him the symbol of resistance against the former administration of ex-President Macky Sall, inspiring a generation of young reform-minded Senegalese.
He further recalled that despite legal battles, arrests, and political restrictions, Sonko remained committed to the movement and ultimately mobilised support for Faye as the continuity candidate of the reform project.
“Without Sonko’s sacrifices, structure, and influence among Senegalese youths, Bassirou Diomaye Faye would almost certainly not have become president,” Frank stated.
Frank also noted that President Faye himself had previously acknowledged Sonko’s role in the movement’s electoral success during his inauguration, crediting him for his sacrifices.
However, he alleged that shortly after assuming office, the Faye administration began deviating from its original reform commitments, including what he described as the reintegration of figures linked to the previous political establishment.
He further alleged that Senegal’s foreign policy posture was drifting back toward French influence, contrary to the sovereignty-driven aspirations of the reform movement.
“The disagreement between President Faye and Prime Minister Sonko stems from what many see as a betrayal of the trust placed in the administration by the Senegalese people,” Frank alleged.
He warned that many supporters of the movement now fear a reversal of the political gains achieved through years of struggle, describing the situation as a critical test of Senegal’s democratic future.
Frank maintained that Sonko remains the authentic face of the reform struggle, advocating economic independence, youth empowerment, institutional reform, and African self-determination.
He urged Senegalese citizens to remain vigilant and continue supporting what he described as the long-term vision of transformative governance.
The United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) Ambassador to East Africa and the Middle East also advised Sonko to strengthen international partnerships, including engagement with global actors willing to support democratic development without undermining Senegal’s sovereignty.
Frank concluded that Senegal stands at a defining crossroads between sustaining genuine reform or reverting to entrenched political structures.
He warned that history would ultimately judge whether President Faye upheld the ideals that brought him to power or aligned with the establishment he once opposed.