Twenty-one of the initial 93 contenders for the February 25 presidential election have successfully passed the endorsement verification process. The Constitutional Council now has until January 20 to examine the remaining documentation in the candidates’ files and release the final list of contenders. This initial screening provides a glimpse of who might be in the running for the presidential race.
Prime Minister Amadou Ba, along with opposition figures Khalifa Sall and Karim Wade, among six other candidates, had their endorsements validated during the first review last week. Twelve additional candidates were reinstated during the second round, including Idrissa Seck, who secured the second position in 2019, former Minister of Agriculture and dissident from the majority Aly Ngouille Ndiaye, and the former Chief of Staff and close ally of Macky Sall, Mahammed Boun Abdallah Dionne. Malick Gakou, another majority dissenter and former Minister of Sports, also cut.
Among the disqualified candidates were three former prime ministers, including Aminata Touré, who failed to validate the minimum required 44,231 endorsements. Notably absent from the list is Ousmane Sonko, who was disqualified due to an incomplete dossier.
However, three of his lieutenants, including the contingency plan Bassirou Diomaye Faye, successfully passed this preliminary stage. Cheikh Tidiane Dièye and former Minister Habib Sy, sponsored by ex-Pastef deputies, also secured endorsements.
Only two women have advanced past this initial endorsement stage: gynecologist Rose Wardini and entrepreneur Anta Babacar Ngom.
The next step involves examining other dossier components, such as proof of the 30 million CFA francs deposit, criminal records, and tax status. The Constitutional Council has until January 20 to complete this process and release the final list of candidates.