The Supreme Court of Senegal on Friday overturned the decision of the Ziguinchor court that sent the arrested politician Ousmane Sonko out of the 2024 presidential race, ruling last month that the Dakar court will retry the case.

Public opinion is divided, with some calling for it to stand while others support the court's decision. “Ousmane Sonko must participate in the election; he must be able to participate. What do they fear on the other side? The election must be fair, with the participation of all. This is what I am asking President Macky Sall. Otherwise, it will cost them a lot of money," said Mr. Pa Ahmed Ndiaye, a Senegalese citizen who lives in Dakar.

"We must trust the judges; we are not the judges. It is up to them to decide, and we should respect their decision. But everything must be done for the public good," added Mamadou Aliou Baldé, another resident of Dakar. The mayor of Ziguinchor, 49, was convicted in absentia in June of corruption by a minor and sentenced to two years in prison.

Sonko and his lawyers denounced the case as a plot to exclude him from the vote. In late July, he was arrested on other charges, including inciting riots, criminal association with terrorist groups, and endangering state security.

The Supreme Court has not announced a date for the retrial.