Senegal Elections: Faye leads race to become Senegal youngest president ever

Bassirou Diomaye Diakhar Faye, 44, has taken an early lead in Senegal's presidential elections and is set to become the youngest president ever in the West African country.

Although official results have not yet been announced, several of the 17 presidential candidates have conceded to him.

Long queues of eager voters were observed at polling stations across Senegal on Sunday, March 24 as citizens exercised their democratic right to choose from among 17 presidential candidates to sit on the nation's highest seat. 

However some provisional results shown that Faye was ahead in the first round of voting.

His supporters flooded the streets of Dakar, the capital of Senegal, in jubilation as initial results indicated the he had taken  the lead in the race. They set off fireworks, waved Senegalese flags and blew vuvuzelas.

This wave of celebration coincided with congratulatory messages pouring in from other presidential hopefuls who acknowledged Faye's visible victory.

If declared winner in the presidential race by the  National Autonomous Electoral Commission (CENA ), Bassirou Diomaye Diakhar Faye, at age 44, would etch his name in Senegal's history books as the youngest president ever elected.

Inspite of all the jubilation,  some supporters of ruling party candidate Amadou Ba still have hope and expect a run-off.