This Friday, May 29, 2026, former President Abdoulaye Wade will reach the historic milestone of his 100th birthday. However, the champion of the "Sopi" movement is not one for candles or personal celebrations. This was revealed by his chief of staff, Alioune Diop, in a dispatch published by the Senegalese Press Agency (APS).

During a recent visit to the former head of state's residence in Versailles, France, Alioune Diop attempted to address the growing excitement in the country as the event approached. The patriarch's reaction was immediate, as reported by the APS correspondent: "Not long ago, I went to visit President Abdoulaye Wade in Versailles. And when I told him that everyone in Senegal and Africa wanted to celebrate his centenary, he didn't even let me finish. He said to me, 'Listen, Alioune, you know very well that I don't really like birthdays. I've never liked celebrating my birthday.'"

According to his chief of staff, the former president much prefers to celebrate a project, a large-scale program or a work, concrete lasting achievements that can remain and serve the people.

Although initially reluctant to hold personal celebrations, Mr. Abdoulaye Wade eventually conceded that, in the course of a life, "100 years is something to celebrate." However, he stipulated one major condition: that all tributes planned worldwide by academics, economists, and politicians be placed under the patronage of the current Head of State, Bassirou Diomaye Faye.

On a practical level, the official centenary date, this Friday, May 29, coincides very closely with the celebration of Tabaski in Senegal—set for Thursday, May 28—so the calendar has been rearranged. The official festivities have been postponed by one week and will take place on June 4 and 5 in Dakar.

The program for this national tribute is already shaping up to be extensive and diverse. The first day, scheduled for June 4, will begin with a solemn ceremony presided over by President Bassirou Diomaye Faye at the Grand National Theater in Dakar. True to his political convictions and always mindful of the well-being of young people and women, President Wade insisted that a public component be added to the event in the afternoon. Alioune Diop told the APS news agency that this grand gathering will take the form of concerts during which numerous renowned artists will pay tribute to him.

The second day of the festivities, June 5th, will be entirely dedicated to intellectual reflection with the organization of a major scientific symposium. This high-level event will examine the former president's career, his political and economic thought, his institutional legacy, and his role as a family man. At 100 years old, the man who so profoundly shaped contemporary Senegal is thus preparing to receive a tribute befitting his century of life, orchestrated by the new generation at the helm of the state.