The interim National Chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), David Mark, has called on Nigerians to join the coalition of opposition parties, saying the movement is set to rescue the country from collapse and rebuild its democracy.
Mark, a former Senate president, said this on Wednesday in Abuja at the unveiling of the ADC as the platform for the coalition parties ahead of the country’s next elections in 2027.
He said, “Let it be known to all that this coalition of national political opposition groups goes beyond gaining political power. It is a concerted effort to rebuild the crumbling pillars of Nigeria’s democracy,” he said.
“The mission is clear: Rescue Nigeria. Rebuild Nigeria. Return power to the people,” Mark, who was picked as the ADC interim chair, added.
“It is on record that within two years of the current administration coming to power, it has hijacked all democratic institutions, and sent our country on a creeping descent into total civilian dictatorship,” he said.
“The blatant destabilisation and infiltration of all major opposition political parties is aimed at achieving only one objective: to enhance total state capture and leave Nigerians with no alternative or options in 2027. This coalition is to prevent our country’s descent into a one-party state.”
Mark said the current government is “consumed with politicking” and has abandoned governance.
“We have never seen a government so much at home with corruption, a government that disdains accountability in all ramifications. A government more concerned with the next election rather than the survival of the ordinary Nigerians,” the former lawmaker said.
“A government so totally consumed with politicking that governance is abandoned, while the majority of our people wallow in hunger and poverty.”
He, however, said the coalition is ready to make things right and asked Nigerians to join the team.
“To all our citizens, who believe that they deserve better, who have been promised much and given so little, for whom renewed hope has turned to renewed hopelessness, this is your coalition and we welcome you all to join us and be a part of this historic rescue mission,” he said.
Leaders and members of the opposition coalition had converged on the Yar’Dua Centre in Abuja for a meeting.
The 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar; his Labour Party counterpart, Peter Obi; a former governor of Kaduna State, Malam Nasir El-Rufai; and a former Rivers State governor, Rotimi Amaechi, were present at the meeting.
Also present was a former governor of Osun State, Rauf Aregbesola, who was recently appointed as the interim national secretary of the ADC
Others were a former member of the National Assembly, Senator Dino Melaye; a former Minister of Youth and Sports, Solomon Dalong; Dele Momodu, Senator Gabriel Suswam; Senator Ireti Kingibe of the Labour Party (LP), a former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Emeka Ihedioha; and a former Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar (retd.).
