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Dakar: Senegal's main opposition party on Friday declared its firebrand leader Ousmane Sonko would be its candidate in upcoming presidential elections, brushing aside questions about his eligibility following a jail sentence.
Sonko on Thursday "was unanimously voted in as the PASTEF-Patriots' candidate for the February 25 2024 presidential elections," the party said in a statement to AFP.
Ballots were cast by delegates in Senegal's 46 departments and among the diaspora, and the results were validated by the party's senior regulatory authority, it said.
Sonko has generated a passionate following among Senegal's disaffected youth by mounting a fiery campaign against President Macky Sall, painting him as corrupt and a would-be dictator.
His ascent has sparked deadly clashes between supporters and the security forces, creating the worst turbulence in years in a country otherwise famed for its stability.
His appointment as party champion had long been expected. The authorities on Thursday slapped a ban on a rally in Dakar on Saturday where it was due to be confirmed in public.
