Following the conclusion of collation of votes, Mr Diomaye Faye has officially been declared winner of the presidential election in Senegal, winning 54.28% of votes in the first round.
Reports from the country’s vote counting commission, which falls under the judiciary, stated that Faye placed well ahead of the governing coalition’s candidate, former prime minister Amadou Ba, who had 35.79% of the votes.
The victory for Faye, who was only freed from prison 10 days before the election, still has to be validated by Senegal’s top constitutional body, which could happen in a few days. Faye, 44, who has said he wants a “break” with the current political system, is set to become the youngest president in Senegal’s history.