Senegal’s president-elect, Basiru Diomaje Faje broke a political jinx when he was announced the winner of the presidential elections. His rise in the political space isn’t devoid of controversy and he was barely unknown less than a year ago.
He spent 11 months in prison with his ally Ousmane Sonko and was only released a week before the presidential election.
Affectionately called “Mr Clean”, his election to the highest office of the land comes with tonnes of responsibility. In his acceptance speech, the former tax collector promised the agreements on gas, oil, fishing and defense must be renegotiated to make them more favorable for the Senegalese people.
He also says he will ditch the much-criticized CFA franc currency, which is pegged to the euro and backed by former colonial power France. He wants to replace it with a new Senegalese or regional West African currency, though that won’t be easy.
While the conversation has been about his rise to fame, his political prowess and his promise to the people of Senegal, some social media users have focused more on his personal life.
Several comments have flooded a video of Faje introducing his two wives to a crowd at a recent gathering. Dele Momodu, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) shared the video with the caption, “Hail the new Senegalese President with his wives!”
The reactions vary. While some expressed shock at his choice, others have encouraged him to succeed as president.
Critics of the president-elect say he has no political experience as he has never been a minister or a civil servant.
Faje has four children with the first, his close relative, while he has no children with the second.
