AS indication emerged at the weekend that former vice-president, Atiku Abubakar might been picked by the Adamu Ciroma-led wise men, the Coalition of Civil Societies of Nigeria, has also backed the former vice-president ahead of the other aspirants, saying he is the best among all of them considering their credential and antecedents.

The coalition said going by their credentials, Abubakar had the better electoral value and commitment to electoral value, hence the wise men should pick him as the consensus candidate.

Addressing journalists in Abuja on the outcome of the meeting at the weekend, the General Secretary of the coalition, Mallam Jibrin Abubakar, said the Civil society groups had looked at the “credentials, antecedents, electoral value and commitment to democratic ethos and have come to the irresistible conclusion that Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, Turaki Adamawa, is the best of them all.”

Justifying their stand, Abubakar said “Atiku is a grassroots democrat and this will make him acceptable to all Nigerians since he has, over the years, built a bridge of friendship across the nation.”

According to him, the people of the North wanted to break away from the ugly past of presenting an unwilling, unsuitable and unprepared candidate, hence the decision of the coalition to search dutifully and come up with a candidate with proven integrity and unassailable track record.

“Atiku Abubakar is the best material available. He is a consummate democrat and unarguably, the best man with unparalleled democratic credential,” the coalition said.

The coalition, therefore, urged the Adamu Ciroma-led wise men working on the possibility of picking a consensus candidate among the leading presidential aspirants from the North jostling for the ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to be mindful of the track record and antecedents of each aspirant before settling for any of them.

The coalition said he showed his commitment to democracy when the former vice-president fought former President Olusegun Obasanjo to a standstill over constitutional issues.

“We are all living witnesses to how Atiku Abubakar risked his life, risked his comfort, was ready to forfeit his office, all in his bid to protect our constitution which former President Olusegun Obasanjo was flouting at will, especially in his bid to perpetuate himself in office.

“We are witnesses to how former vice-president Atiku Abubakar toed the path of honour and constitutionality by challenging the numerous, unconstitutional and outright violation of the rights of Nigerians by the imperial majesty – Chief Olusegun Obasanjo.

“More than any living politician and presidential aspirant, Atiku Abubakar has defended our hard earned democracy and, in the process attracted to himself, a sizeable crop of opponents who, out of envy and jealousy, are out to pull him down,” the coalition added.

It implored Nigerians to settle for only a tested, trusted and untainted democrat, with a track record of performance in office, adding that only a detribalised Nigerian who believed in the rule of law and constitutionality should be allowed to lead the nation.

http://tribune.com.ng/index.php/news/13218-2011coalition-of-civil-societies-of-nigeria-backs-atiku