Interim National Chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and former Senate President, Senator David Mark, has declared the ADC as the political platform to unify and transform Northern Nigeria ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Mark made the declaration on Saturday during the third expanded meeting of the National Political Consultative Group (NPCG – North) in Abuja, where key opposition leaders gathered to strategize for the upcoming polls.
“The last time we met here, the popular demand was, ‘what is the vehicle to achieve the northern agenda?’ I tell you today that the vehicle to achieve northern unity, progress and development is ADC,” Mark said.
He lamented the current state of Northern Nigeria, citing rising insecurity, poverty, political disunity, and ethnic divisions as the region’s most pressing challenges.
“This is not the North we inherited,” he said. “Despite its vast resources, the region remains the poorest in the country with high rates of illiteracy, unemployment, and underdevelopment.”
Mark stressed that it was time for the North to take responsibility for its own recovery, noting that no external solution will succeed without internal resolve.
He called out the elite’s manipulation of ethnicity and religion in past elections, warning that such divisive strategies have only weakened the region.
“The challenges facing Northern Nigeria are intricately connected poverty fuels crime, insecurity deters investment, and political division hinders development,” he stated. “It is time to reclaim our values.”
Mark assured that under his leadership, the ADC will champion a new kind of politics rooted in healing, inclusion, accountability, and service, and not manipulation.
Also present at the meeting was Babachir Lawal, former Secretary to the Government of the Federation and Chairman of the NPCG (North), who has consistently advocated for a cohesive political platform to advance northern interests.
The NPCG meeting held behind closed doors focused on deepening consultations and finalising a roadmap for a unified northern political front, with the ADC positioned as the coalition vehicle.
Mark’s comments are the clearest signal yet that the ADC will serve as the central opposition platform in the North, as various political realignments take shape ahead of 2027.
