(Ecofin Agency) - Senegal held presidential elections yesterday, March 24, to elect its 5th president. While no official results have been announced, several trends published on social media suggest that opposition candidate Bassirou Diomaye Faye is in the lead.

The people of Senegal are awaiting the outcomes of the presidential election held on Sunday, March 24, 2024. According to various observers, the election was generally peaceful, with no major incidents reported.

With 17 candidates, including Bassirou Diomaye Faye and Amadou Ba, these elections are regarded as an important turning point in Senegal's recent political history. Over 7.3 million voters were called to choose their fifth President of the Republic after the incumbent, Macky Sall, publicly opted not to run for a third term.

Although no official results have been released by the authorities so far, multiple trends on social media are showing Bassirou Diomaye Faye in the lead. According to the Senegalese Press Agency (APS), the opposition candidate is reportedly leading in Dakar, while vote counting is still underway. Several candidates have even congratulated the runner-up to Ousmane Sonko, who was prevented from running in the election.

As a reminder, this election comes after a political crisis triggered by President Macky Sall's decision to postpone the presidential election. After several setbacks in the Constitutional Court, the leader finally scheduled the election for March 24, just over a week before the end of his term scheduled for April 2, 2024.

Macky Sall's designated successor, Amadou Ba, who served as his Prime Minister, has stated that he will comment on the initial results on Monday at 12 p.m. local time.