Saint-Louis political feud: Modou Mbène Guèye fires back at Abba Mbaye

In a sharp public exchange, Modou Mbène Guèye, the local coordinator of Pastef in Saint-Louis, delivered a scathing response to Abba Mbaye following the latter’s recent television appearance. During the broadcast, Abba Mbaye had harshly criticized Ousmane Sonko, accusing him of sacrificing allies to consolidate power. Guèye dismissed these remarks as baseless political amnesia, questioning Mbaye’s own contributions to the current administration’s rise.

Opposing views on political strategy

Abba Mbaye drew parallels between Sonko’s alleged tactics and the approach he claims President Bassirou Diomaye Faye is now adopting in his efforts to reshape the government. « He sacrificed every ally to secure a majority. That’s the same restructuring President Diomaye Faye is attempting with Kiiraay, » Mbaye stated during the program. His comments followed his own shift into the presidential camp, announced in early August after a meeting with the head of state—a move he justified by criticizing Senegal’s political climate, which he described as having devolved from a respected model to a spectacle.

Modou Mbène Guèye wasted no time in firing back. The Pastef leader accused Mbaye of lacking principles, convictions, and ethics, branding him as ungrateful for past criticism of the president and prime minister despite their eventual electoral success. « The only consistent trait about him is ingratitude, » Guèye declared, before dissecting Mbaye’s political history.

A history of shifting allegiances

Guèye highlighted contradictions in Mbaye’s statements, pointing out that after winning his parliamentary seat in July 2022 under the Yewwi Askan Wi banner—where he led the Taxawu Sénégal movement aligned with Khalifa Sall—Mbaye immediately claimed he owed no one anything. This stance clashed with earlier remarks during the legislative campaign, when he accused Ousmane Sonko of blocking his path to the mayoralty. The Saint-Louis coordinator also recalled Mbaye’s disrespectful remarks about the late Ousmane Tanor Dieng, secretary-general of the Socialist Party, as well as controversial stances during the installation of the 14th legislature.

Saint-Louis stands firm with Pastef

In closing, Guèye reaffirmed Saint-Louis’s unwavering loyalty to Pastef, dismissing any potential incentives Abba Mbaye might gain from aligning with the presidential camp. He emphasized the ongoing local membership drive, which has already distributed 3,750 cards across the city, with a second phase set to launch this Saturday, August 8th.