Former Vice President and presidential aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar is the Nelson Mandela of the struggle to entrench democracy in Nigeria, a Jigawa group, the Atiku Forum 2011 has said.

But Director General of the amalgamated Atiku Abubakar Campaign Organisation, Senator Ben Obi insisted that the contributions of Atiku to the struggle to entrench democracy in Nigeria pales into insignificance when compared to the achievements of Mandela in South Africa and indeed in the world.

DG of Atiku Abubakar Campain organisation, Senator Ben Obi (R) in a  hand shake with  Mallam Abdullahi Abdulhamid (Mutawallin Hadejia) (C) during the solidarity visit of the Jigawa State chapter of Atiku 2011 Forum  to the Atiku campain office headquarters in Abuja...weekend

The group made the declaration in Abuja weekend while endorsing the candidacy of Atiku for the 2011 presidential poll.Leader of the Forum, Mallam Abdullahi Abdulhamid (Mutawallin Hadejia) said the  contributions of the Turaki to democratic struggle in Nigeria are unassailable.

According to him, Atiku’s feat in the nation’s democratic struggles stands him out in the same “way Jomo Kenyata of Kenya liberated Kenyans from the wicked arms of the colonialist and the way Nelson Mandela liberated South Africa from the white man’s apartheid domination.”

He pointed out that “That is how you (Atiku) liberated Nigerians from the dark clouds of the Obasanjo’s Third Term agenda, thereby ensuring the continuity of democratic rule in Nigeria.”

The group assured that it will give total support to the presidential bid of the former Vice President “because (they) regard (themselves) as members of the same political group, and will continue to struggle for (his) success in the forthcoming PDP presidential primaries and the general election.”

Mallam Abdulhamid paid tributes to former President Ibrahim Babangida, Lt. Gen. Aliyu Gusau and Governor Bukola Saraki of Kwara state for their “patriotism” in accepting the choice of Atiku as the consensus candidate of the North.Senator Obi who received the delegation behalf of Atiku assured that the former Vice President will not waver in his commitment to uphold and entrench democratic values and ethos in the country.

“It is flattering to liken the Turaki to Mandela and Kenyatta, but let it be acknowledged that the Madiba, as he is fondly called is a global icon of democracy, who we are still learning to follow in his ways. His (Mandela’s)

stature and accomplishments to the promotion of and sustenance of democracy in his native South Africa, the African continent and indeed the whole world are so intimidating that we doubt if we are even qualified to tie the lace of his  shoes,” he said.

He assured the group that its members will be adequately represented in the Jigawa state chapter of the Atiku campaign organisation.