Distinguished Senator David Mark, National Chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), has urged opposition parties to set aside personal ambitions and form a united coalition to rescue Nigeria from what he described as the woeful failures of the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led government.
Delivering the keynote address at the National Opposition Summit in Ibadan on Saturday, 25 April 2026, Senator Mark declared that the gathering represented an urgent patriotic response to the nation’s cry for help amid widespread insecurity, economic hardship, and democratic erosion.
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He painted a grim picture of Nigeria’s security challenges, noting that in 2025 alone the country recorded nearly 12,000 conflict-related deaths a figure exceeding those in active war zones such as Syria, Iraq, and Yemen combined.
Nigeria ranked fourth on the Global Terrorism Index, with terrorism deaths rising by 46 per cent even as global figures fell by 28 per cent. At least 15 Nigerians are killed daily, while around 19 are abducted, leaving entire communities displaced and families shattered.
Senator Mark accused the government of shocking indifference, claiming it was more preoccupied with electioneering and self-succession than protecting citizens.
He criticised the ruling party for undermining democratic institutions and attempting to create a one-party state through sustained attacks on opposition voices.
“The essence of democracy is to provide the people with a choice,” he said. “When one government fails woefully, the constitution grants citizens the right to vote it out. Yet this administration has done everything to deny Nigerians that right.”
The ADC chairman emphasised that no single opposition party could confront the entrenched system alone. He called for genuine unity anchored on honesty, integrity, and trust, warning against hidden agendas or last-minute surprises.
“We must rise above narrow sentiments and petty parochialism,” he added, urging parties to rewrite the history of coalition-building in Nigeria.
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Mark described the recent minor cabinet reshuffle as a tacit admission of failure, arguing that such changes at this late stage could not save the government from the people’s verdict.
He expressed deep concern over the neutrality of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) under its new chairman, Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan, warning that Nigerians had lost confidence in the electoral umpire.
He concluded with a rallying call: the struggle was no longer a conventional political contest but one between the APC and the suffering Nigerian people.
“We are on the side of the people, and therefore the Almighty God is on our side,” he declared.
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