In a bold declaration of political resistance, former Senate President David Mark has warned that Nigeria is on the brink of becoming a one-party state if urgent steps are not taken to revive its democracy.
Mark, who now serves as the interim National Chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), spoke in Abuja on Wednesday during the formal unveiling of the ADC as the official platform for a broad-based opposition coalition ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Flanked by prominent political figures including former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, Labour Party’s Peter Obi, former governors Nasir el-Rufai, Rauf Aregbesola, and Emeka Ihedioha, Mark declared the coalition a “united front” made up of opposition political parties, youth groups, civil society organisations, and patriotic Nigerians determined to rescue the country from democratic collapse.
“This coalition goes beyond gaining political power. It is a concerted effort to rebuild the crumbling pillars of Nigeria’s democracy,” Mark said.
He accused the current administration of “hijacking all democratic institutions” since taking office two years ago, warning that the nation is being steered towards “a total civilian dictatorship.”
Mark alleged that the federal government is deliberately destabilising opposition parties in a bid to achieve “total state capture” ahead of the 2027 elections, leaving Nigerians with no alternative voice.
“We have never seen a government so much at home with corruption, a government that disdains accountability in all ramifications,” he stated.
He criticised the administration’s focus on perpetual politicking over governance, claiming it has resulted in deepening poverty and hunger across the country.
On national security, the former Senate President lamented the daily killings and abductions by bandits and kidnappers, saying the government has failed in its constitutional duty to protect citizens.
“The Nigerian people deserve a government that protects them and makes them feel safe in their own homes,” he said.
Mark also denounced what he described as the “emasculation” of the National Assembly, saying it has become nothing more than a “mere appendage of presidential authority,” enabling the passage of unconstitutional policies unchecked.
Describing the ADC as “not merely another electoral vehicle but a fortress of revived democracy,” Mark vowed the party would be run by equal stakeholders, rooted in justice, transparency, and inclusion.
“The coalition’s values are unity over division, service over slogans, action over excuses, compassion over inhumanity, transparency over opacity, inclusion over nepotism, real progress over endless rhetoric, performance over empty promises, rule of law over impunity, and justice over inequity,” he said.
Mark concluded with a rallying call to Nigerians: “This is a patriotic duty to save our country. Our mission transcends any electoral calendar.
It is a commitment to rebuild the guardrails of our democracy, to anchor power once again in the will of the people, and to hand to our children a nation worthy of their talents and their dreams.”
