The presidential coalition called Benno Bokk Yaakaar (BBY) has lost the regions of Dakar and Ziguinchor in Senegal’s municipal elections, but managed to retain its strongholds in the northern and central regions.
Benno Bokk Yaakaar, also known as the ‘Coalition of Hope’ has conceded defeat in the city of Dakar, the nation’s capital and Ziguinchor, the main administrative centre of the southern region of Casamance at the end of local and municipal elections held on Sunday, January 23, 2022.
In a statement signed by its communication team, BBY recognizes the victory of Yewwi Askan Wi (Free the People), the coalition gathering the country’s main opposition parties.
The desire to conquer Dakar and Ziguinchor, in particular, has not been conclusive.
The statement issued in the evening sounds like an acknowledgement of their defeat in the capital Dakar and in the south of the country where Ousmane Sonko, the leader of Pastef, the Patriots (considered the most radical opposition party) becomes the new mayor of Ziguinchor, after unseating the outgoing mayor Abdoulaye Balde.
The opposition coalition won the overwhelming majority of the municipalities in the Dakar region, consolidating its supremacy since the victory of the 2009 local elections.
In Guediawaye, a district in the Dakar suburbs, the outgoing mayor, Aliou Sall, President Macky Sall’s brother, admitted defeat to the candidate of Yewwi Askan Wi, Ahmet Aidara.
However, the coalition of the majority has managed to retain some strongholds in the north, centre and even south of the country.
“The national trends give Benno Book Yakaar largely winning in several regions and districts, especially since outside the Benno Bokk Yaakaar lists, many leaders went to these elections under other banners. The exhaustive analysis of the results will make it possible to take stock of the situation,” the ruling coalition vows in its communiqué.
In many other cities, such as Matam, Saint-Louis, Fatick, Louga, Kaffrine, Sedhiou, Kolda, Dagana, Linguere, Mbacke, Podor and Pikine, the ruling coalition has indeed come out on top.
These successes do not, however, mask the setbacks in Dakar and Ziguinchor.
With six months to go before the legislative elections scheduled for June 2022, a new political reconfiguration seems to be emerging from the local elections.
CD/fss/as/APA