The Benue Concerned Democrats (BCD), has raised strong objections over what they describe as a political hijack of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) by former Senate President, Senator David Mark, under the guise of a purported “Coalition for 2027”.
In a scathing statement issued on Monday, the BCD Convener, Arc Idoha Audu Anuga, condemned what he termed “recycled opportunism” masquerading as leadership, accusing Mark and his allies of attempting to manipulate the ADC to return to political relevance.
According to the BCD, David Mark’s return to politics through the ADC under a new coalition is a dangerous attempt to relaunch what they described as a failed and authoritarian political playbook.
Anuga said: “Nigerians must not forget who David Mark truly is. He is no democrat. His anti-democratic credentials are etched in history, beginning with his shadowy support for the discredited Association for Better Nigeria (ABN), the political hit squad used by Arthur Nzeribe to sabotage the June 12 mandate of Chief MKO Abiola. Mark stood not with the people, but with the enemies of democracy.
“In Benue South, his political legacy reeks of rigging, intimidation, and manipulation. The most infamous being his fraudulent “victory” over the popular young Alhaji Usman Abubakar in a senatorial contest many still remember as one of the worst electoral daylight robberies in Benue history.
“His record in the Senate is equally disgraceful, 16 years of redundant leadership, where the Senate under his watch was nothing short of a rubber stamp, and arguably the worst-performing in Nigeria’s democratic experience.
“Today, Benue South has nothing to show for David Mark’s over a decade in power, no federal projects, no legacy, not even a sustainable youth empowerment programme. His people are left with memories of wasted years and dashed hopes.
“Now, like a moth to political flame, he’s back, hoping to sneak into government again, this time through the ADC, pretending to lead a “Coalition” of change. Nigerians must be warned: this is the same old Mark, backed by the same gang of expired political jobbers seeking to line their pockets once more under the guise of rescuing Nigeria.
“If the ADC must survive as a credible platform, it must distance itself from David Mark and his ilk. The so-called coalition has made a tragic error asking him to lead the charge against the APC. You do not fight democratic decay by recycling those who contributed to it.
“As citizens of Benue, we are best placed to expose David Mark’s longstanding abandonment of his immediate constituency. His disengagement is total, politically, morally, and developmentally.
“His military career, much like his political life, was punctuated by dictatorial tendencies, habitual abuse of office, intimidation, and harassment of perceived opponents. From khaki to agbada, the Mark signature has always been fear, not service; control, not development.”
The BCD further alleged that Senator Mark’s military and political careers were marked by dictatorial tendencies, abuse of office, and suppression of dissent, describing his leadership style as one driven by “fear, not service; control, not development.”
He added, “We, the Benue Concerned Democrats, reject David Mark’s attempted reincarnation in whatever form. Nigerians deserve a clean break from yesterday’s men. David Mark represents the rot of the past, not the hope of the future.”
