Senegalese President, Macky Sall seems poised for 2nd term in office

Senegalese President, Macky Sall is most likely headed towards a second term in office, after two opposition leaders are barred from running in the polls.

Prime Minister, Mohammed Dionne said preliminary results suggested Sall had secured about 57 percent of the votes in Sunday's elections, but an official result will take days.

However, rival candidates warned against declaring the result prematurely.

2 well-known opposition figures were barred from taking part, after being deemed ineligible because of corruption convictions.

As a result of the decision neither the Socialist Party nor the Senegalese Democratic Party, which have dominated the country's political landscape since independence, are fielding presidential candidates.

Only five candidates were deemed eligible for Sunday's vote, compared to 12 in the last election.

With two democratic transitions of power and no coup since its independence in 1960, Senegal is considered one of the most stable countries in Africa.

More than 6.6 million people were registered to vote in Sunday's election, including some residents living abroad.