Celebrating his recent victory, the newly elected President of Senegal, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, was spotted holding a broom on Wednesday.
Symbolically, the broom is associated with Nigeria’s leading political party, a country known as a regional powerhouse in West Africa.
The Senegalese President-Elect, set to officially take office by April 2, was observed enthusiastically waving the broom, akin to the customary gesture seen among members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) during rallies, campaigns, and victory processions in Nigeria.
Faye, affiliated with the prohibited African Patriots of Senegal for Work, Ethics, and Fraternity (Patriotes africains du Sénégal pour le travail, l’éthique et la fraternité; PASTEF in French), emerged victorious in the presidential election as a popular candidate from an opposition coalition.
Following his defeat, Amadou Ba, a 62-year-old ex-finance minister and immediate past prime minister in Sall’s administration, who ran as the choice of the ruling party coalition, graciously acknowledged Faye’s win on Monday and extended his congratulations.
According to NewsNow, Senegal’s electoral regulations mandate that a candidate must secure 50% or more of the votes in the initial round to be declared president; otherwise, a runoff is held between the top two contenders to determine the ultimate victor.
At 44 years of age, Faye entered the race as one of the 19 candidates vying for the position left vacant by the term-limited President Macky Sall.
Watch the video below:
Senegal’s President-Elect, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, celebrates his victory with a broom. pic.twitter.com/NQo2WxQG8f
— Imran Muhammad (@Imranmuhdz) March 27, 2024