Aïda Bodian, Acting Mayor of Ziguinchor
On May 08, 2024, Mrs. Aïda Bodian, previously first deputy mayor of Ziguinchor (Senegal), was appointed mayor to replace Mr. Ousmane Sonko, Senegal’s current prime minister. Sonko had set an ultimatum for members of the government on the evening of their appointment on April 5: all ministers holding elective office were to step down from their other functions within one month, in order to devote themselves “exclusively to their governmental responsibilities”.
On Saturday May 4, Ousmane Sonko resigned from his position as mayor of Ziguinchor. He had held this position since January 2022. In accordance with current legislation (article 137 paragraph 2 and article 138 of the General Code of Local Authorities), the first deputy mayor took over as acting mayor. Mrs. Aïda Bodian had already made history by becoming the first female, first deputy mayor of the city of Ziguinchor.
Little did she know that two years later, the keys to the town would be in her hands until the next ordinary session of the town council, when a new mayor would be elected. On this occasion, it is possible that her colleagues will support her in this position to see her move from the status of acting mayor to that of mayor. It should be noted that no fewer than four contenders have already declared their intention to succeed the current Head of Government.
Aïda Bodian entered politics in 2016 and joined PASTEF (Ousmane Sonko’s party) to, she says, “fight injustice and bad governance”. She distinguished herself during the elections in terms of mobilization and awareness-raising. Aïda Bodian, a teacher by profession, was born in 1975. A mother of four, she admits that her political career has been marked by ups and downs: “It wasn’t easy, but because we believed strongly in this project, we went all the way to achieve our objectives, which will benefit our children and, of course, future generations”, she confided after her election as first deputy mayor.