Senegalese opposition MP Abdou Mbow launched a scathing attack on National Assembly President Ousmane Sonko during Tuesday’s Budget Orientation Debate, accusing him of undermining the dignity of parliament following dramatic scenes in the chamber a day earlier.

Before addressing economic issues, Mbow revisited Monday’s confrontation in the National Assembly, during which he was forcibly removed from the chamber by security personnel after refusing to leave the podium.

Addressing fellow lawmakers, Mbow argued that the incident went beyond a personal dispute.

“Yesterday, it was not Abdou Mbow who was humiliated. It was the National Assembly that was humiliated. It was the Rules of Procedure of the National Assembly that were trampled upon,” he said.

The opposition lawmaker questioned Sonko’s political and moral authority to preside over the legislature, arguing that the office of the Speaker should be exercised with impartiality, restraint and respect for parliamentary rules rather than being used to settle political scores.

Mbow also alleged that the Assembly president had allowed a climate of confrontation to develop, claiming that members of the ruling PASTEF party had been encouraged to target him during Monday’s altercation.

He further accused PASTEF lawmakers of abandoning the spirit of political change they had promised Senegalese voters, alleging that they had instead focused on “insults, slander and denigration” against opposition members.

Despite the tensions, Mbow said the opposition would not be intimidated.

“We remain more determined than ever to defend the Republic, the rule of law, democracy and freedoms,” he told the chamber before turning to the Budget Orientation Debate.

The latest exchange comes amid heightened political tensions in Senegal following Monday’s chaotic parliamentary session, which saw opposition lawmakers protest and stage a walkout after Mbow was removed from the chamber.