Senegal: Abdoulaye Tine denies announcing an address from Diomaye Faye

The spokesperson for the Senegalese presidency, Abdoulaye Tine, denied on Sunday, September 20, 2026, that he had announced an upcoming address from Bassirou Diomaye Faye or a new date for the territorial elections, following the interpretation of his remarks made on Friday on RTS.

In his clarification, the ministerial advisor stated that his comments were focused on the legal framework of the territorial elections and the powers granted to the President of the Republic. He emphasized that the head of state personally chooses the timing and format of his statements, and that any potential presidential address would be announced through the official channels of the Presidency.

On Friday, September 18, during the “Nay Leer” program on RTS, Abdoulaye Tine had urged Senegalese citizens to listen to the argument that Bassirou Diomaye Faye would present and indicated that he would speak “soon.” Several Senegalese media outlets then reported these statements as an announcement of an imminent intervention by the president regarding the electoral calendar.

The schedule for the territorial elections has been under significant political pressure for several weeks. On August 26, Pastef submitted a request to the Ministry of the Interior and the National Autonomous Electoral Commission to initiate the process, arguing that January 17, 2027, was the last legally permissible date for the election.

The electoral code published by CENA stipulates a five-year term for municipal councilors. Its regulatory section specifies that a decree sets the date of the election in the fifth year of the term. The councils currently in office were elected during the local elections on January 23, 2022.

On September 8, Prime Minister Ahmadou Al Aminou Lô announced before the National Assembly that the next local elections would take place on January 17, 2027.