President Bassirou Diomaye Faye referred the measure to the high court after its passage. In its ruling, the court found the piece of legislation to be "contrary to the Constitution."

The defeated bill sought to bar the president from leading a political party or coalition, while simultaneously granting investigative powers to the parliament.

The government complained that the legislative process had been carried out without consultation with political stakeholders. Prior to the court ruling, Faye had planned to put the measure to a public referendum.

The decision is the latest development in a widening dispute between President Faye and his former prime minister, Oussmane Sonko, whom Faye fired in May.

Sonko now leads the National Assembly that passed the bill. He is also the leader of the Pastef party, which proposed the measure and to which Faye currently belongs.

Faye announced last week that he would soon create his own party, a move expected to significantly reshape Senegal's political landscape and redefine alliances within the country's ruling establishment.

This intensifying political dispute unfolds ahead of the 2027 local elections. The upcoming votes are expected to provide the first major indication of the electoral strength of both rival camps.