Senegal: Main opposition candidate, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, leads in race to replace incumbent leader

Opposition leader Bassirou Diomaye Faye has emerged as the leading contender to win Senegal’s Sunday presidential election.

The poll witnessed a massive turnout of voters, following three years of turbulence and opposition protests against the incumbent, Macky Sall.

19 candidates are in the race to replace the outgoing leader, whose tenure is on the verge of completion.

Meanwhile, the ruling coalition’s candidate, Amadou Ba, has rejected reports of defeat and said he expected to contest a run-off vote to decide a winner.

Early results from the election announced on television showed Mr Faye had secured the majority of votes, sparking widespread street celebrations in the capital, Dakar.

Mr Faye, a member of the Pastef party led by Ousmane Sonko, was recently released from jail before the vote.

Sonko could not run in the polls after he was disqualified because of a defamation conviction.

The firebrand opposition figure declared his backing for Mr Faye, the co-creator of his now dissolved Pastef party, who was also detained almost a year ago on charges including defamation and contempt of court.

The two were later released in an amnesty law passed this month by President Sall.

No fewer than 7.3 million people were registered to vote in Sunday’s election.

Final provisional results from the 15,633 polling units are expected by Tuesday.