Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, also the chair of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), is scheduled to meet Senegalese President Macky Sall in Dakar on Monday to address the constitutional crisis arising from the postponed elections originally slated for this month. Sall’s decision to delay the February 25 presidential vote has triggered one of Senegal’s most severe crises since gaining independence from France in 1960.
Tinubu’s visit follows emergency discussions among ECOWAS foreign ministers in Abuja regarding the Senegal situation. The postponement has sparked violent protests, underscoring the challenges to stability and democracy in a country previously lauded for its peaceful governance amid regional turmoil.
Despite ECOWAS’ call for Senegal to adhere to its election timetable, doubts linger over the bloc’s influence, particularly given the defiance of member states like Niger, Burkina Faso, and Mali, which declared their withdrawal from ECOWAS in January. The absence of Guinea, suspended from the bloc due to a coup, further underscores the bloc’s internal challenges.
The crisis has raised questions about ECOWAS’s efficacy, particularly after its failed intervention threat in Niger last year. Sall attributes the election delay to a dispute between parliament and the Constitutional Council over disqualified candidates. He aims to initiate reconciliation efforts and has pledged not to seek a third term.
However, opposition leaders have decried the postponement as a “constitutional coup,” condemning the crackdown on demonstrators. Senegal’s parliament has endorsed the decision, extending Sall’s term until his successor assumes office, likely not before early 2025.
Activists from the Aar Sunu Election group have called for further protests on Tuesday, signaling ongoing tensions amid the delayed electoral process.
