Opposition lawmakers in Senegal have formally petitioned the Constitutional Council, seeking to have the National Assembly Bureau’s decision of May 24, 2026, declared unconstitutional. This contested decision concerns the reinstatement of Ousmane Sonko as a deputy in the parliament.
The opposition bloc is urging the Constitutional Council to fully exercise its mandate by putting an end to what they describe as a “legal impropriety” that “undermines the proper functioning” of the legislative institution.
Below is the full statement issued by the opposition:
The undersigned opposition deputies in the National Assembly wish to inform the Senegalese public, as well as national and international opinion, that they have submitted an appeal to the Constitutional Council. This appeal requests that the decision made by the National Assembly Bureau on May 24, 2026, which reinstated Mr. Ousmane Sonko as a deputy, be declared contrary to the Constitution.
After his appointment as Prime Minister and subsequent election as a deputy in 2024, Mr. Sonko immediately found himself in a position of incompatibility, as stipulated by Article 54 of the Constitution. By choosing to retain his governmental responsibilities, he effectively forfeited his parliamentary mandate, in accordance with both the Constitution and the then-applicable internal regulations. His subsequent reintegration, followed by his election to the presidency of the National Assembly on May 26, 2026, represents a clear and undeniable breach of the Constitution and the fundamental principle of the separation of powers. Only the Constitutional Council, which serves as the arbiter of parliamentary mandate validity and the regulator of state institutions, possesses the authority to prevent such a grave act from escaping scrutiny.
We further wish to disclose that we were compelled to resort to bailiff summons to obtain the essential documents required for our appeal. These documents include the official act of Mr. Sonko’s reintegration and the minutes from the plenary session held on May 26, 2026. Despite being served on June 1, 2026, by Maître Abou Sall, a judicial bailiff, both the Secretary-General and the First Vice-President of the National Assembly refused to provide these records. 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 call upon the Constitutional Council to fully embrace its role by halting this legal irregularity that compromises the 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
The opposition bloc is urging the Constitutional Council to fully exercise its mandate by putting an end to what they describe as a “legal impropriety” that “undermines the proper functioning” of the legislative institution.
Below is the full statement issued by the opposition:
The undersigned opposition deputies in the National Assembly wish to inform the Senegalese public, as well as national and international opinion, that they have submitted an appeal to the Constitutional Council. This appeal requests that the decision made by the National Assembly Bureau on May 24, 2026, which reinstated Mr. Ousmane Sonko as a deputy, be declared contrary to the Constitution.
After his appointment as Prime Minister and subsequent election as a deputy in 2024, Mr. Sonko immediately found himself in a position of incompatibility, as stipulated by Article 54 of the Constitution. By choosing to retain his governmental responsibilities, he effectively forfeited his parliamentary mandate, in accordance with both the Constitution and the then-applicable internal regulations. His subsequent reintegration, followed by his election to the presidency of the National Assembly on May 26, 2026, represents a clear and undeniable breach of the Constitution and the fundamental principle of the separation of powers. Only the Constitutional Council, which serves as the arbiter of parliamentary mandate validity and the regulator of state institutions, possesses the authority to prevent such a grave act from escaping scrutiny.
We further wish to disclose that we were compelled to resort to bailiff summons to obtain the essential documents required for our appeal. These documents include the official act of Mr. Sonko’s reintegration and the minutes from the plenary session held on May 26, 2026. Despite being served on June 1, 2026, by Maître Abou Sall, a judicial bailiff, both the Secretary-General and the First Vice-President of the National Assembly refused to provide these records. 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 call upon the Constitutional Council to fully embrace its role by halting this legal irregularity that compromises the 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
