Today, President Abdoulaye Wade is 100 years old. A century of life, struggles, and lessons.

I had the privilege of serving as Secretary General of the CLF in Thiès and National Spokesperson for the UJTL. I was among the first young people to travel with President Wade on an official mission to South Africa for the NEPAD summit of heads of state. I also traveled with him to Ghana and France.

From those moments, I remember the man before the head of state. A charismatic, uninhibited leader of unparalleled generosity. Deeply committed to his values, but above all, profoundly committed to young people. He believed in them. He wanted our advancement at every level.

I will never forget our arrival in France with him. He gave each of us money, telling us, "You need to go buy some nice clothes, because a leader must have a good presence." That sentence says it all: he was training us in detail, preparing us to embody the role.

Abdoulaye Wade is truly the man of the century. His political stature, his extraordinary resilience, but above all, his ability to turn adversity into advantage. He lost four times before winning. He waited 26 years. He taught us that perseverance always pays off.

At 100 years old, Gorgui remains a reference point for an entire generation.

A century of life, 50 years of political struggle, 12 years at the head of Senegal.

I chose to testify not to judge a record, but to salute a journey. Few men have so embodied the idea that politics is first and foremost a battle of ideas and convictions.

He spent decades saying what many thought but didn't dare speak under the one-party state. He paid for this struggle with exile, imprisonment, and lost elections. But he never changed his tune. Democracy, political alternation, popular sovereignty: he repeated them until Senegal finally listened in 2000.

Once in power, he envisioned a Senegal with a forward-looking vision: bridges, highways, universities, energy, international influence. He wanted to demonstrate that an African nation could dream big and provide the means to achieve its ambitions.

In hindsight, the most important takeaway is this: Abdoulaye Wade proved that in Africa, peaceful transitions of power were possible. He lost in 2012 and he accepted it. This simple yet historic gesture did more for our democracy than a thousand speeches.

At 100 years old, he remains the Master, the “Gorgui”, the one who taught a whole generation that standing tall means refusing fatalism.

Regardless of our political affiliation, we must acknowledge one thing: he changed the political trajectory of Senegal. He made political alternation a reality, not just a slogan.

He championed a vision of Senegal that was open to the world, ambitious in its infrastructure, and proud of its international voice.

At 100 years old, his career remains a reminder: politics is a marathon, not a sprint. Defeats are not the end. Convictions pay off, but only with time.

From all the young people of Thiès and elsewhere who grew up with your example: Thank you for the lessons of dignity, courage and confidence in youth.

Happy birthday, Mr. President. May Allah grant you health, blessings, and a long life.