Obasanjo in Senegal to ‘‘prevent what is preventable’’
With tensions mounting and concerns of serious threat to Senegal’s long political stability looming, former Nigerian President Olasegun Obasanjo has arrived in the capital, Dakar as a Special envoy of the African Union and ECOWAS to observe Sunday’s presidential polls and what he called ''prevent what is preventable.''
Ex-President Obasanjo arrived last evening amid political unrest and anti government street protests that that have so far led to the deaths of six persons over the past weeks.
According to him, his mission is first to do election observation, but his arrival has raised some hopes of a possible diffusion of the unrest.
But speaking to Journalists on arrival at Dakar’s international airport, President Obasanjo said that considering the situation on the ground, he would also do something to ‘’prevent what is preventable.’’
The former Nigerian leader, who had himself faced stiff resistance in Nigeria for reportedly attempted to pursue a third term in 2007, said he would be meeting with everybody his mandate requires him to meet with.
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Obasanjo’s has his work already cut out, as the opposition maintains their rejection of incumbent President Abdoulaye Wade third term candidacy, alleging it’s a violation of the country’s constitution.
But the 85-year-old Senegalese leader, who was certified by the Constitutional Court, says he won’t quit the race. Wade argues that when he took office in his first term ten years ago, the current constitution was not in force, saying the law is not retroactive.
There are 13 other presidential candidates standing against the Senegalese President. Three of them previously served as Prime Ministers under him, while two are women, for first time in the history of this predominantly Muslim West African nation.
With just few days to Senegal’s presidential election, more street protests have been taking place by supporters of the M23 Movement, an opposition and civil society coalition and the local youth group, Y’en A Marre.
Backed and led by opposition leaders, demonstrators marched near the Independence square in central Dakar on Tuesday.
But many ordinary citizens are confused in the wake of a turbulent campaign in the run up to the polls.
WADR’s Alpha Jallow spent part of the day watching the protest and back in studio, Frank Sainworla asked him whether it was as violent as the weekend’s protest.
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