By Abdoulie John
More than 30,000 Facebook users in Senegal have unfollowed President Bassirou Diomaye Faye in the past week, in a dramatic online backlash triggered by explosive allegations that he has turned against his political mentor and Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko.
The mass unfollow campaign erupted after prominent parliamentarian and political commentator Cheikh Barra Ndiaye accused Faye of plotting “a coup d’état” against Sonko, the charismatic leader of the ruling PASTEF party, widely seen as the architect of Faye’s 2024 election victory.
Speaking last Thursday on the popular Walfadjri TV program, watched live by over 50,000 viewers on YouTube, Ndiaye declared the country was sliding toward “an unprecedented political crisis.”
“President Faye is on the verge of staging a coup against the emblematic figure of PASTEF,” Ndiaye charged, claiming the president has abandoned core campaign pledges: seeking justice for victims of past human rights abuses, prosecuting those who plundered state coffers, and overhauling the judiciary.
The remarks went viral instantly, fueling hashtags calling for a boycott of Faye’s Facebook page. By Sunday evening, the president’s follower count had dropped sharply, with many users publicly announcing their unfollows and accusing Faye of betrayal.
Supporters of Prime Minister Sonko, still revered as the moral force behind the “Project” that ended Macky Sall’s 12-year rule, expressed outrage and disappointment.
As pressure mounts for an official response, the presidency and government have maintained total silence, leaving social media as the main battleground in what analysts warn could become Senegal’s most serious governing crisis since the March 2024 transition.
