TO Be The ADC Interim Chairman
Have you wondered why the leaders of the Coalition that dissolved into ADC last week, had David Mark as the interim Chairman of the party? We can tell you.
It is because of the tremendous respect that Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has for him. Both of them have come a long way since the early 90s when Atiku left the Nigeria Customs to join Politics under the late Gen. Musa Shehu Yar’Adua.
Col. David Mark was one of the bright Boys in the Army at that time. He had a fast-rising career and was one of those who had close links with Gen. Ibrahim Babangida.
He was an IBB Boy and was one of those who was made a Governor and a Minister in the early 90’s.
Atiku also was doing well in Politics.
He was one of the influential politicians of that era, along with Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu. These were Big Boys who dominated that era.
And the anullment of the June 12 1993 results made their paths cross, as both the politicians and the generals jointly looked for a way out of the logjam that IBB had plunged the country.
Gen. David Mark was central to the issues of that era.
Now, 77 Gen. David Alechenu Bonaventure Mark GCON is a retired Army Brigadier General and an active politician, who served as the 12th President of the Nigerian Senate from 2007 to 2015 and was the Senator for Benue South Senatorial District from 1999 to 2019. He is the interim National Chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) which he joined after his resignation from the PDP in 2025. Prior to his senatorial career, Mark was the Military Governor of Niger State from 1984 to 1986, and is a one-time Minister of Communication. He is the longest serving president of the Senate.
Mark was born in Otukpo Benue State in April 1948. He attended St. Francis Catholic Practicing School before attending the Nigerian Military School. After that he attended the Nigerian Defence Academy. He was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in 1970 and became a Captain in 1971. He was Commandant of Static Communications in 1974, then later held a political post as Chairman Abandoned Properties Implementation Committee in the Eastern region in 1976.
Mark headed the Communications Ministry and its two major parastatals: Nigerian Telecommunications Limited (NITEL) and Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST). As Minister of Communications, Mark was sometimes known for his blunt talk.
Mark was elected to his position as President of the Senate on 6 June 2007.
He ran for re-election to the Senate for Benue South in April 2011 and was elected for a 4th term. David Mark noted that the polls pointed to his decisive victory and called for his opponents to work together to improve Nigeria.
When leading the review of the Constitution, Mark reportedly urged his colleagues to set aside their personal interests and focus on the interests of the people. After the UK criticized Nigeria’s Prohibition of Same-Sex Marriage bill, threatening to pull their foreign aid, Mark responded that they “should keep [their] aid.” Mark called Nigeria’s National Football Federation the “centre of corruption in the country,” suggesting that they may need to temporarily disband to allow for reconstruction.
In September 2018, making plans to contest for the presidency, Mark appointed Zainab Abdulkadir Kure as his Campaign Manager and Abba Ejembi as campaign’s spokesperson.
David Mark enjoys Golf, Tennis, and Squash and he used to own so many Golf courses around the world. He is an Idoma by tribe.
Atiku and some of the inner caucus members of the Coalition feel that David Mark is best suited for that role in te rms of age, experience and influence.
In political circles he is well respected.
