Senegal opposition challenges ousmane sonko’s assembly reintegration at constitutional council

Opposition lawmakers in Senegal have officially referred the matter of Ousmane Sonko’s reintegration as a deputy to the Constitutional Council. They seek a declaration that the National Assembly Bureau’s decision of May 24, 2026, which reinstated Sonko, is unconstitutional. 

 The deputies are urging the Constitutional Council to fully exercise its mandate by rectifying what they describe as a “usurpation of power” that undermines the proper functioning of the parliamentary institution.

Below is the complete statement issued by the opposition bloc: 

We, the undersigned opposition members of the National Assembly, wish to inform the Senegalese populace and both national and international public opinion that we have lodged an appeal with the Constitutional Council. Our petition aims to have the National Assembly Bureau’s decision of May 24, 2026, concerning the reintegration of Mr. Ousmane Sonko as a parliamentary deputy, declared unconstitutional. 

After his appointment as Prime Minister and subsequent election as a deputy in 2024, Mr. Sonko found himself in a position of incompatibility, as stipulated by Article 54 of the Constitution. By choosing to retain his governmental responsibilities, he effectively relinquished his parliamentary mandate, according to both the Constitution and the then-applicable internal regulations of the Assembly. His subsequent reintegration, followed by his election to the presidency of the National Assembly on May 26, 2026, represents a clear and egregious breach of the Constitution and the fundamental principle of the separation of powers. Only the Constitutional Council, as the ultimate arbiter of parliamentary mandate validity and regulator of state institutions, possesses the authority to prevent such a grave act from escaping scrutiny.

Furthermore, we must highlight that we were compelled to resort to bailiff’s summonses to obtain the necessary documents for our appeal, specifically the act of Mr. Sonko’s reintegration and the minutes from the plenary session of May 26, 2026. Despite being served on June 1, 2026, by Master Abou Sall, a judicial bailiff, both the Secretary-General and the First Vice-President of the National Assembly refused to provide these documents. This refusal to furnish representatives of the Nation with documents that are inherently public, even when formally requested via a bailiff, constitutes a serious obstruction to the rights of deputies and to democratic transparency.

Consequently, we respectfully implore the Constitutional Council to fully embrace its role and put an end to this constitutional impropriety that compromises the integrity and regular operation of our parliamentary body.

We reaffirm our unwavering commitment to defending the Constitution and Senegalese democracy through exclusively legal and peaceful avenues. No majority, regardless of its size, stands above the foundational law of the Republic.


The signatory deputies

Daouda Dia
Aïssata Ousmane Diallo
Amadou Diallo
Raqui Diallo
Mamadou Diaw
Salimata Diop Dieng
Mbaye Dione
Thérèse Faye
Barane Fofana
Cheikh Omar Hann
Birima Mangara
Abdou Mbow
Fabineta Ndiaye
Anta Babacar Ngom
Thierno Alassane Sall
Maguette Sène
Abdoulaye Sylla
Tafsir Thioye