In this post, Platinum Times Nigeria will work you through all you need to know about Senegal’s new President, Diomaye Faye.
Bassirou Diomaye Faye is a Senegalese politician who has been sworn in as the President of Senegal following his victory in the presidential election that held on Sunday, March 24, 2024 in the Republic of Senegal.
Here are vital facts about the young and vibrant President.
Bassirou Diomaye Faye is a citizen of Senegal born on 25th March, 1980 in Ndiaganiao, the western part of M’Bour, Thies, Senegal.
He obtained a Bachelor and a Master’s degree in Law in 2000, he later passed an examination to join the National School of Administration (ENA) and the magistracy in 2004.
Until his involvement in politics, he served as a tax inspector in the Tax and Estates department, where he met Sonko, a former schoolmate.
He was a former General-Secretary of PASTEF (Patriotes africains du Sénégal pour le travail, l’éthique et la fraternité), meaning the African Patriots of Senegal for Work, Ethics and Fraternity, a political party founded by Ousmane Sonko, his friend in 2014.
He was endorsed by Sonko as a presidential candidate in November 2023 owing to the uncertainty over the possibility of Sonko contesting, despite the dissolution of PASTEF several months earlier.
Faye was arrested on April 14th, 2023 for charges related to a social media post and he spent over 11 months in jail, he was released just 10 days before the presidential election, and still won.
Following his endorsement by Sonko, on 15th March, 2024, a day after his release from jail, Faye gathered hundreds of supporters at his first public appearance as a presidential aspirant.
He is married to two wives, Marie Khone and Absa and he has four children.
He was elected as Senegal’s fifth and youngest President at the age of 44 on March 24th, 2024.
He was subsequently sworn into office on 2nd April, 2024.