IT is not an over-statement that Atiku Abubakar is today the greatest champion for demoratic stability and advancement in the country. In life, reward for hardwork is success. Hardwork surely pays. The life story of Atiku Abubakar is full of hardwork, perseverance, patience, diligence, excellence, surprises and success. As an orphan, Atiku beat all odds and emerged as a superstar from a humble beginning.

Atiku Abubakar is today rewarded with the Northern presidential consensus candidate because of the democratic credentials he amassed for himself. His dogged fighting spirit never to chicken out in the face of oppression, distinguished him to emerge victorious as a consensus candidate. He is tested and trusted in democratic struggles. Atiku Abubakar is indeed a quintessential democrat and consummate politician.

If Atiku Abubakar emerges as People Democratic Paty (PDP) presidential flagbearer and the next President of Nigeria in 2011, which are the most likely things to happen, they are the functions of his investments on democratic institutions and processes in this country.
Democratically, Atiku has reached the peak of pro-democracy struggles and an advancement in the country.

In 1986, he was a founding member of Peoples Front which waged relentless war against military dictatorship and for return to democratic rule in the country.

He was a pioner member of the Social Democratic Party, which championed the struggle for return to civil rule and participated in the presidential primaries in 1992 and came third position behind late M.K.O. Abiola and Ambassador Baba Gana Kingibe. He was a founding member and later leader of the Peoples Democratic Movement popular known in Nigeria‘s political circle as PDM which midwifed the formation of People’s  Democratic Party that has been the ruling party since the military relinquished power in 1999. He was a founding father of PDP, which terminated military rule in Nigeria.

Atiku was a democratically elected Governor of Adamawa State in 1999 before he was democratically elected as Vice-President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria twice in 1999 and 2003 respectively.

As the Vice-President, Atiku led a crusade to deepen democratic values in Nigeria by waging frontline war against immoral and illegal tenure elongation project otherwise known as 3rd term and fighting dictatorship and abuse of office through the judiciary. He won all the litigations he instituted against the Federal Government thus strenghting the popularity of Nigerian Judiciary as the last hope of the common man, rule of law and constitutionalism.

If Atiku did not take that bold step to stop the 3rd term project, there would have been no democracy in Nigeria today. When he and his supporters were de-registered and chased out of PDP by Garrison Commanders, he re-positioned the Action Congress, a platform he contested presidential election in 2007 and which has now created more democratic spaces in the country.

Back in PDP courtesy of the Alex Ekwueme Reconciliation Panel Initiative, Atiku Abubakar is vying for the apex position in Nigeria and he will surely deepen internal democracy in PDP and democracy in Nigeria. As an apostle of popular rule, Atiku will promote people oriented policies and programmes if he becomes a President.

As a master-strategist and super tactician, Atiku knows the secrets of electoral success and exploits. He has the goodwill to proscute the elections. With a super political machine behind him, his success is almost guaranteed. Having emerged as the Northern consensus candidate, the coast is very clear for him to be victorious. He is an experienced politician, having personally prosecuted four presidential elections in 1992, 1999, 2003, and 2007.

This is a statement loaded with substance. One thing going for Atiku is his emphasis on exellence and profesionalism. His campaign organisation is made up of the best brains in the relvant fields. The public sympathy his political incarceration brought for him cannot be under-rated. He is good in public relations and as a detribalised Nigerian, he has made and recoverd his lost friends in all parts of the country.

The natrual law of justice is working for Atiku. He has sacrificed a lot for democracy to succeed in Nigeria, so he shall receive democratic rewards.

Atiku’s political profile is rising like a hurricane because of his rich democratic credentials which have made Nigerians to admire him. His charming charisma has attracted the movers and shakers of Nigeria’s politics to his side. With his resilience embedded in political optimism and realism, Atiku is sure to smile home with victory as Nigeria’s next President.

By Innocent OKADIGBOa veteran journalist,  writes from Owerri.