Emma Okereke — Former head of state, General Muhammadu Buhari and his successor in office, General Ibrahim Babangida have been urged to support President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua for the 2011 election.

Similarly, former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has been told to forget his ambition of becoming president and throw his weight behind Yar'Adua.

A pro democracy group, Patriots for Democracy and Good Governance (PADGOG) gave the advice after a meeting of its central working committee (CWC).

According to the National Coordinator of PADGOG, Chief Elvis Agukwe, Buhari, Babangida and Atiku should see their stepping down for Yar'Adua as a patriotic service to the nation.

He said Yar'Adua was performing and needed the support of the trio and other Northern leaders to complete his constructional mandate of two tenures.

Agukwe said contrary to the label of a slow president against Yar'Adua, the man has actually confronted and surmounted the many challenges he met on assumption of office.

"The issue is not the person but the nation. except those who don't like the president's face, Nigerians ought to support Yar'Adua to deepen democracy", he said.

The PADGOG boss hailed the president for the successful resolution of the Niger Delta crisis and for securing peace without shedding any drop of blood..

Chief Agukwe said going by the successes recorded by Yar'Adua, the president should be supported by all statesmen to complete his tenure of eight years.

He said the former leaders in particular owe it a duty to the nation to stabilise democracy by supporting Yar'Adua.

"They should forget their individual ambition and rise up to be called great patriots of the nation. And by this they would forever be called noble men of Africa", Agukwe said.