(SenePlus) – Former President Macky Sall, who had nevertheless promised to withdraw from political life when leaving office last March, is today leading an unprecedented electoral campaign from Morocco. Appointed head of the list of the Takku Wallu opposition coalition for the legislative elections on November 17, he is trying to keep his influence at bay.
Le Monde reports a revealing scene that occurred on October 26 in Thiès, near Dakar: activists from the Alliance for the Republic (APR) are grouped around a telephone, listening to their leader speak via outgoing MP Abdou Mbow who acts as a relay. This situation sparked ironic comments in the Senegalese media who called the initiative the “WhatsApp campaign”, reports the French daily.
The newspaper specifies that on September 30, the Takku Wallu coalition, bringing together in particular the APR and the Senegalese Democratic Party (PDS), had formalized the candidacy of Macky Sall as head of the national list, thus demonstrating his persistent influence despite his Moroccan exile.
Le Monde cites the “Letter to my compatriots” broadcast on November 6, in which Macky Sall justifies his political return: “We see that the economy is at half mast”, he writes, criticizing “populism” and the “counter- truths [qui] take the place of a mode of governance.” He explains his initial withdrawal as “republican courtesy”, having “imposed a time of retreat and reserve.”
However, reports the French daily, the former president remains evasive on the reasons for his remote campaign. An APR executive confided to Le Monde, on condition of anonymity: “We are studying the possibilities, but the hypothesis of his presence on the territory for the legislative campaign is unlikely.”
According to testimonies collected by Le Monde, Macky Sall firmly maintains control of operations despite his distance. “He follows everything very closely,” says Omar Youm, a close friend and executive of the APR, quoted by the newspaper. His strategy focuses on the defense of his presidential record (2012-2024) and the frontal attack on the first months of Pastef’s governance.
Faced with this unprecedented situation, Le Monde reports that the APR had to rethink its strategy. “We are betting on door-to-door canvassing more than on meetings. We are pushing grassroots activists to meet citizens,” confides an outgoing MP to the French daily. The newspaper also quotes Mamadou Lamine Sarr, political science researcher, who recalls: “The APR has long been a highly effective electoral machine. They still have know-how in this area. Their presence in deep Senegal is forte.”
Le Monde reports a growing unease within the party. “In politics, contact and human warmth count. There, this dimension is absent,” admits an activist in the columns of the newspaper. Another member of the party confides: “Unfortunately, we cannot find anyone who really replaces Macky in this leadership role. He founded the APR and led the country for twelve years.”
Meanwhile, his opponent Ousmane Sonko, Prime Minister and co-founder of Pastef, is taking advantage of this absence to increase his public appearances, going so far as to organize a show of force on October 29 in Fatick, Macky Sall’s historic stronghold.
