Senegalese President Macky Sall on Saturday announced the postponement of the presidential election originally scheduled for February 25.

The announcement was made in a message broadcast to the nation just a few hours before the start of the electoral campaign at midnight on Sunday.

The National Assembly adopted a bill on Saturday to request a six-month postponement of the election.

Twenty candidates were cleared by the Constitutional Council to compete in the polls. Sall has decided not to run for a third term.