Me Abdoulaye Wade immortalized in a tribute book May 27, 2026
Cheikh Omar Diallo paid a well-deserved tribute to former president Abdoulaye Wade. It was during the dedication ceremony of his work entitled “Wade, the man of the century”. This, a few days before the celebration of the centenary of the former Senegalese head of state.
They were all there: faithful, early companions and sympathizers of the former head of state, Me Abdoulaye Wade, to revisit his journey together and magnify the publication of the second book dedicated to him by Dr Cheikh Omar Diallo. Twenty years after his first book entitled “So close, so far with Wade”, published in 2006, the author wanted to dedicate and publish a new book entitled “Wade, the man of the century”, on the eve of the celebration of his centenary.
The work, a compilation of political stories, anecdotes and confidences, gives a broad overview of the trajectory of the former head of state, founder of the Senegalese Democratic Party (Pds).
The author uses his proximity to the “Pope of Sopi” to immerse the reader behind the scenes of power but also of the opposition. He retraces the 26 years of opposition, the 12 years of power as well as the 12 years of counter-power of Me Wade.
Cheikh Diallo stressed that this book is neither a pamphlet nor a simple assessment of the assets and liabilities of the liberal regime, even less a work of admiration. Rather, in his words, it is a deeply human book retracing the journey of “an intrepid leader, thirsty for political conquests, with an exceptional trajectory”. He also describes the man he describes as a “brilliant political monster”. Referring to a personal exchange with the former president, the author returns to his last words: “What do you want people to remember about you when you are no longer in this world? Are you a happy man? » He replied to me: “I am not a happy man, but an accomplished man. I would like the Senegalese to be even more hardworking, more deserving, more persevering and to love each other more for a prosperous Senegal. » In their various interventions, several leading figures, collaborators and pillars of the political system of Me Abdoulaye Wade, president of Senegal from 2000 to 2012, were full of praise for him. Former minister Ousmane Ngom, presented as one of the companions of the burning years, stressed that Mr. Wade deserves to be celebrated all year round until 2027. He believes that it is important to remember that Mr. Wade wrote the political history of Senegal by initiating ruptures in an African context dominated, at the time, by single parties and liberation movements. According to him, the creation of the opposition party, the PDS, can bear witness to this. The former president of the liberal parliamentary group, Doudou Wade, agreed. “He crossed all of Africa with this burden of knowledge, humanism and diplomas. He is the most educated man in Casablanca, Cape Town. »
Aïda Mbodj, former minister and vice-president of the National Assembly under Wade, returned to the promulgation, on May 28, 2010, by President Abdoulaye Wade, of law no. 2010-11, establishing absolute parity between men and women in Senegal. According to her, he never wanted women to be on the edge of decision-making spheres.
Matel BOCOUM
