Senegalese Prime Minister Amadou Ba promised to lead the country towards "greater peace and prosperity" as the ruling party officially tapped him to replace incumbent Macky Sall.
Sall, who took power in 2012 and is not standing for a third term, had designated Ba his preferred successor, an endorsement confirmed by the Alliance for the Republic party's delegates on Thursday as they named him their candidate for the February poll.
"I am honoured to tell you that I accept to be your candidate," Ba said at the ceremony in a Dakar hotel attended by the ruling party and its allies.
Ba, a former tax inspector, has served as prime minister since September 2022. Previously, he was a minister of foreign affairs and minister of economy and finance.
Crowded field
The 62-year-old has been tipped by analysts as a favourite to win the West African nation's election, but faces a crowded field.
According to press reports, over 200 candidates have declared interest in running, including former Prime Minister Mahammed Boun Abdallah Dionne and former interior minister Aly Ngouille Ndiaye.
Sall, speaking at the nomination ceremony, praised Ba's "exceptional" track record, but warned of the difficulties ahead.
"The first challenge facing you will be the challenge of illegal migration and youth employment through new mechanisms to be invented," he said.
Sonko candidature
Ba may also face opposition leader Ousmane Sonko, 49, who has had to fight to be included in the electoral roll.
The firebrand politician came third in the 2019 presidential election, and has been engaged in a more than two-year legal wrangle with the state following his conviction in absentia for morally corrupting a young person.
Last week, a court ruled that Sonko be re-entered on the electoral lists, potentially enabling him to run for president, but state lawyers said they plan to appeal.
Contenders have until December 26 to register for the election, with the Constitutional Council expected to make decisions on eligibility by the end of December.
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