David Mark, the interim national chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), says the coalition of opposition political parties will prevent Nigeria from descending into a one-party state.
Mark spoke in Abuja on Wednesday at the unveiling of the ADC as the platform for the coalition ahead of the 2027 elections.
He described the coalition as a united front of Nigeria’s diverse opposition groups, youth organisations, civil society, and patriots committed to saving the country’s democracy.
“This coalition goes beyond gaining political power. It is a concerted effort to rebuild the crumbling pillars of Nigeria’s democracy,” Mark said.
He warned that since the current administration took office two years ago, it has “hijacked all democratic institutions” and pushed Nigeria towards “total civilian dictatorship”.
The former senate president accused the federal government of destabilising opposition parties to achieve “total state capture” and leave Nigerians with no alternative in the 2027 elections.
“We have never seen a government so much at home with corruption, a government that disdains accountability in all ramifications,” Mark said.
He criticised the administration’s focus on politicking over governance, which he said has left many Nigerians “wallowing in hunger and poverty”.
Highlighting the country’s insecurity, Mark said bandits and kidnappers kill Nigerians daily, yet the government has failed to act decisively.
“The Nigerian people deserve a government that protects them and makes them feel safe in their own homes,” he added.
Mark also condemned the alleged emasculation of the national assembly, describing it as “a mere appendage of presidential authority” that has allowed unconstitutional policies to flourish unchecked.
“This is a dangerous conspiracy against the Nigerian people. This coalition is for all Nigerians who share in our belief that we have a patriotic duty to save our country,” he said.
Mark described the ADC as “not merely another electoral vehicle but a fortress and platform of our revived democracy”, promising it would be a party of equal stakeholders and democratic traditions.
“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. Our mission transcends any electoral calendar,” Mark said.
“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.”
Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, Nasir el-Rufai, Rauf Aregbesola, and Emeka Ihedioha were among top politicians at the event.
