Bassirou Diomaye Faye dey set to become Africa youngest democratically-elected president

Few bin don hear of am a year ago, and now e don set to become president.

Bassirou Diomaye Faye extraordinary rise don end a rollercoaster period in Senegalese politics wey catch many pipo off-guard.

Months in jail alongside ally and kingmaker Ousmane Sonko bin end suddenly, as dem release both of dem di week bifor di presidential election.

Now Faye aka Mr Clean gatz work on di sweeping reforms e don promise.

"Methodical" and "modest" na words wey dem dey often use to describe di tax collector, wey celebrate im 44th birthday on Monday.

Mr Faye fondly recall im rural upbringing for Ndiaganiao, where im say im return evri Sunday to work di land.

Im love and respect for village life dey matched by im deep distrust of Senegal elites and establishment politics.

"E neva be minister bifor and e no be statesman, so critics dey question im lack of experience," analyst Alioune Tine tell di BBC.

"But, from Faye point of view, di insider wey don run di kontri since 1960 don make some catastrophic failures."

Fighting poverty, injustice and corruption dey top of Mr Faye agenda. While working at di Treasury, im and Mr Sonko bin create a union taskforce to tackle corruption.

Gas, oil, fishing and defence deals gatz dey negotiated to beta serve di Senegalese pipo, Mr Faye tok.

E dey usher an era of "sovereignty" and "rupture" as opposed to more of di same, e tell voters, and dat dey especially true of ties to France.

Senegal president-elect tok say e go drop di much-criticised CFA franc currency wey dey pegged to di euro and backed by former colonial power France.

Mr Faye wan replace am wit a new Senegalese, or regional West African, currency, although dis no go dey easy.

"Im go gatz deal wit di reality of di budget to begin wit... But I see say e get a lot of ambition," former Prime Minister Aminata Touré tell BBC. Touré bin serve under outgoing President Macky Sall.

Strengthening judicial independence and creating jobs for Senegal large young population na also key priorities for Mr Faye - "President Sall no pay much attention to dem and e catch up wit am", Ms Touré add.

She no be di only political heavyweight wey throw her support behind di 44-year-old. Former President Abdoulaye Wade do di same just two days beifor Sunday election.

Na remarkable turnaround for Mr Faye wey bin spend di last 11 months for prison on charges of insurrection, and many more years bifor dat in Sonko shadow.

'Bassirou na me'

Dem bin announce Bassirou Diomaye Faye for February as di so-called "Plan B" candidate, wey replace di charismatic opposition firebrand Ousmane Sonko. "I go even say im get more integrity dan me," Mr Sonko tok proudly.

Both men establish di now-disbanded Pastef party, both men na tax collectors, and both men find diasef jailed last year on charges dem tok say dey politically motivated.

Dem convict Mr Sonko of two offences, wey mean say dem bar am from di election, so Mr Faye bin step in.

"Bassirou na me," Mr Sonko tell supporters recently. "Na two sides coin get," Pastef colleague Moustapha Sarré agree.

Dis don lead to criticism say Mr Faye na merely "president by default".

No be so, analyst Mr Tine tok. But dia relationship fit usher in a new style of leadership.

"Maybe dem go establish a tandem and break away from di hyper-presidential model of having an all-powerful head of state.

"Sonko na di uncontested leader of Pastef - an icon, even... [But] di two don get [dynamic of] complicity and collusion."

Once upon a time, Mr Faye bin no want anytin to do wit politics. "E neva cross my mind," e tpk for 2019 wen im dey remember im childhood.

One of Mr Faye heroes na di late Senegalese historian Cheikh Anta Diop - wey im work dey seen as a precursor to Afrocentrism. Dem see both of dem as left-wing cheerleaders for pan-Africanism.

As early results come in on Monday showing say Mr Faye dey set for victory, pipo for di capital, Dakar, bin celebrate by blowing car horns and singing to loud music.

Di reaction from international markets dey less jubilant, as Senegal dollar bonds fall to dia lowest level in five months. Reuters news agency report say investors dey concerned Mr Faye presidency may wind down di kontri business-friendly policies.

Di election suppose hold last month but Mr Sall postpone am just hours bifor campaign suppose begin, and e trigger deadly opposition protests and a democratic crisis.

Most candidates bin get veri little time to prepare once dem set di new election date - but Mr Faye bin get just ova a week afta dem release am for jail.

Despite di shortened campaign period, Senegal citizens dey determined say dem go turn out and use dia vote, Christopher Fomunyoh of di National Democratic Institute for international affairs tell BBC Newsday.

"Senegal dey in di process of confirming say democracies fit self-correct and come out stronger and more resilient."

And di true test for Senegal clean-up guy just begin.