[POLITICS] – “Political revelation/ Sonko, a phenomenon to be studied in schools” by Samba Diamanka

“I believe in this adage that no one escapes his destiny”… It is with these words that journalist Samba Diamanka, begins his publication on the career of Senegalese politician Ousmane Sonko. He simply finds it exceptional for a ban.

“I remember the first article on the front page of the old “Popular” newspaper that became “Vox Populi”. It was about the meagre taxes that members of Parliament pay when they each have more than a brick a month. This is at a time when poor public servants pay a large sum to the treasury. That day, I was on the daily The Witness. I was proud to see a politician denounce an injustice. But I thought it might be a way to hit hard and attract people to his entry into politics. Some time later, I see him debating on the web with people. I started to take an interest in him. Sonko, you have to remember, was not running from the debates. Even on Facebook. He was not waiting for an answer on his behalf. Members of his party had to impose certain codes on him to stop him from writing or responding to those who questioned him. That too must be recognized. That is normal.

Disbanded from the public service, he held the upper hand as Babacar Justin Ndiaye says. In the last general election, he was elected by the strongest remnant. He took it one step further by seducing his world. Social media was his world. It was funny when people thought that Facebook is just virtual forgetting that people who comment are real human beings. We also talk about fictitious accounts. Who has this time to animate more than three accounts? This is a reasoning that does not hold. In the Presidential Election, he proved that he is in the heart of the Senegalese youth. He ranked 3rd. An achievement! With the outbreak of the so-called Adji Sarr affair, his world has grown. Sonko, it must be said, is a phenomenon to be studied in schools.”