Celebrating the 100th anniversary of President Wade's birth has sparked discussions among activists, supporters, allies, disciples, and researchers about the exceptional journey of this remarkable man. In our reading, we came across the book "The Courage to Act: A New Vision of Politics in Senegal" by former minister Aliou Sow. In one chapter, titled "My Wadeism: Why and How?", Dr. Aliou Sow speaks of a man who fascinated him on every level.

The chapter's conclusion refers to the former minister's synthesis of "Wadism." "Wadism," he writes, "will only acquire real meaning and truly take root when Wade is no longer a political leader or head of state, but an icon whose immortal and imperishable symbol is nurtured by all his disciples, who are in no way linked to him as head of state, but rather to him as an idea, a journey, a vision, and a symbol of struggle and endurance. It is at this precise moment that the school of Wadism will become a kind of beacon and refuge for all those who are lost or who lack the necessary guidance to find the right path. For them, the school of Wadism will be their torch." "It is at this moment that I am convinced that the Senegalese people, political and apolitical, partisan or neutral, will know that in Senegal, a man of exceptional greatness served this country with ambition and selflessness and that no one could, unless it is among his rare, worthy and deserving disciples - different from militants, sympathizers and clients - succeed him validly, concretely and sustainably, this is also the destiny of great men," wrote former minister Aliou Sow.

Wadism is therefore a path of liberalism; it is an ideology that is both political and economic, a set of ideas and actions capable of reconciling and uniting all patriots and pan-Africanists in search of efficiency and concrete results.

The President of the Movement of Patriots for Development (MPD/Liggeey), a journalist and graduate of CESTI (29th class), holding a postgraduate doctorate and a state doctorate in literature, cannot comment on an amplified phenomenon of "Wadeism" or "Wademania." "My first impressions of Wade were of a superman who knows more than others and who can do much more for the nation if it places its trust in him. He can certainly take care of the rest. I had no choice but to follow the one who had most fascinated me among all those trying to convince my fellow citizens," emphasizes Dr. Aliou Sow. He first heard of Abdoulaye Wade by his then-nickname, "Njombor." The founding father of Senegalese liberalism was a man of intelligence, education, and training, with a head of hair that never grew bald. “Given that my village life was fundamentally shaped by tales, myths, and legends, Njomboor (or Lëk) represented the ultimate embodiment of intelligence and cunning. As children, by mischievously pointing out that there was a man in our country as brilliant and clever as the animal that had won the competition to crown the youngest, the baby of the forest, we were thrown into Wade's arms. (…) For us children, Mr. Wade was undoubtedly the master of masters. And naturally, I, in turn, grew up with this profound conviction that Wade was the best in my country's political class.” "No one has yet succeeded in denying and challenging this profound feeling which has since become the foundation of my Wadism without my realizing it at the beginning," writes Dr. Aliou Sow.

Mr. Wade, an example of endurance, a love for youth

The author of the book "The Courage to Act" is fascinated by the endurance and selflessness of the father of the Sopi party, but also by his love for youth. He helped elect Dr. Aliou Sow as a PDS deputy at the age of 25, then appointed him to several ministerial positions in various portfolios, such as Youth, then Youth and Employment, and later Minister Delegate for the Interior and Decentralization and Local Authorities. "Wade gave me the courage a soldier needs to serve the challenges of the nation. Wade taught me by example fairness, justice, and discernment, and allowed me to grasp their scope and usefulness… Wade is the living embodiment of endurance, patience, tolerance, and forgiveness, but also of firmness and determination. Through his constant pursuit of perfection and results, he knows how to give his choices and convictions the means to succeed. (…)" Wade loves the youth of his country and his continent. This is not a political calculation. Whether in opposition or in power, Wade has never ceased to remind us that a young person who stops protesting ceases to be young. For Wade, youth is the solution to all problems. They are not a problem at all, and their availability is unparalleled for the present and future of Africa,” writes Dr. Aliou Sow.

What struck me about Wade

“What struck me most was Wade, the repository of encyclopedic knowledge. Wade the courageous intellectual, provocative and a great agitator of ideas. I am also fascinated by the nuanced, yet precise, Wade, as Idrissa Seck liked to point out. He is often said to be unpredictable. People think that if he signals right, it's to turn left or stay put. I don't believe that. (…) With Wade, today it's a broken line, tomorrow a curved one, but always, the destination set at the start will be the destination. This Wade, without having seen him or known him, had already amazed me. He had become for me the model, the reference, and the benchmark that impressed the young rural student used to being top of his class, but also the boy always driven by the ardent desire to play leading roles,” the former minister said. In "The Courage to Act," Dr. Aliou Sow admits that he could resign from a government, parliament, local authority, or any other elected or appointed position, but he cannot imagine for a single second abandoning liberalism and the Wadist movement. Faced with challenges such as the jealousy and ferocity of some of his rivals, Dr. Aliou Sow drew a clear line by creating his liberal-Wadist party to preserve and uphold his much-lauded identity. Ultimately, faced with various situations, he created the Movement of Patriots for Development (MPD/Liggeey).

Abdou Karim DIARRA