Music legend to challenge incumbent in Senegal’s upcoming election
Senegalese superstar Youssou N’Dour has announced his intention to run for the presidency of his native Senegal, The Guardian reports. The Grammy-winning musician and singer broadcast the announcement of his bid on TFM (Television Futurs Medias) radio and television station, which he owns. N’Dour, one of Africa’s most recognizable and popular musicians, has been an outspoken critic of incumbent president Abdoulaye Wade. Wade, 85, is seeking a controversial third term. He argues that a constitutional amendment preventing three-term presidency does not apply to him, as it was implemented in 2000, after his first term. “For a long time, men and women have demonstrated their optimism, dreaming of a new Senegal,” N’Dour said on Monday. “They have, in various ways, called for my candidacy in the February presidential race. I listened. I heard.” He also noted, “the presidency is not something you go to school for.”
The Guardian