These early elections confirm what everyone already knows. Ousmane Sonko is an emperor who sits everywhere in Senegal except in the Matam region. The 11th region continues to refuse the leader of Pastef, even if it is timidly beginning to let itself be seduced.
In the last Presidential Election, Matam only gave 1,020 votes to the DiomayePresident coalition and for these early legislative elections, she gave more, without giving everything: 26,243 votes out of the 315,863 registered. It is Macky Sall who continues to dictate his law in this part of the country since 2012.
However, for many observers, these early legislative elections were going to be the right one for Pastef, for several reasons: Macky Sall lost power, Benno Bokk Yaakaar no longer exists, the APR is on the verge of implosion and the Sonko phenomenon which continues to spread.
Better still, at the start of the electoral campaign, high-ranking political leaders came to swell Pastef's ranks. They are Me Malick Sall, former Minister of Justice, Abdoulaye Sally Sall, founding member of the Alliance for the Republic, former minister advisor and current mayor of Nabadji Civol, tax inspector Djiby Sy of Oréfondé, from the director of Roads Mamadou Camara, from Aliou Sall, director of Civil Status… But in the end, Pastef suffered another defeat!
Heads of the list without much aura
The choice of Pastef's candidates, in the Matam department in particular, was far from obvious. Due to a lack of local consensus, Ousmane Sonko made a decision. Choices that “made people cringe”, but ultimately accepted.
Cheikh Oumar Basse and Fatimata Diallo were selected to carry the standard of the patriots of the department of Matam. Both are from Ourossogui. Cheikh Oumar Basse, son of the wealthy diamond merchant Yéro Basse, is a Pastef activist from the start. Far from being a political beast, he had run for mayor of Ourossogui, without success.
His name resonates more or less outside his commune, because he is his father's son and because of his political prowess. Fatimata Diallo is an unknown in the department, but she has the merit of being one of the most committed women in the entire Matam region. These electoral contests were a first experience for her.
The “insufficient” contribution of newcomers
When Abdoulaye Sally Sall and Me Malick Sall formalized their support for Pastef, many thought that at the very least, the communes of Nabadji Civol and Ogo would fall into the hands of the ruling party.
The first always won the locals in his commune and earned “Soviet” scores. The second had a departmental dimension. Just a few months ago, he was even in a duel with Farba Ngom for control of the Matam department. This shows the electoral potential he had. But it seems they left without their political base.
In Ogo-commune of the former Minister of Justice, Pastef was only able to collect 217 votes when Takku Wallu obtained almost quadruple that. In Nabadji Civol, the mayor was not as successful in winning Sonko's list.
In Orefondé, leader Djiby Dieng, who left to join Pastef, was even beaten in his polling station. Aliou Sall of Doumnga Ouro Alpha did not weigh heavily in the results.
Abdoulaye Sally: “It’s the money that makes Matam win.”
But according to Abdoulaye Sally Sall, if Pastef did not win, it is because the means were in the Takku Wallu camp.
“Pastef did not win in the Matam region, because quite simply, it was money that played a role. Matam remains the only region where to win, you need money. For these elections, dirty money circulated wonderfully. There was money laundering that everyone noticed.
Moreover, Ousmane Sonko mentioned it during his meeting in Matam and Agnam. Politics is monetized in the Matam region and the fight now is to demonetize politics here,” explains the former special advisor to President Macky Sall.
