On Saturday, David Mark, the National Chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), went to the National Summit of Opposition Political Party Leaders in Ibadan, the capital of Oyo State.
The former Senate President said in his speech that the meeting was called to help Nigeria.
He said that the problems of insecurity in Nigeria are getting worse and that something needs to be done right away to stop the trend.
The ADC chairman said that even though crime is on the rise, the government, whose main job is to keep people safe, acts like nothing is wrong.
Mark said that President Bola Tinubu’s current government was trying to weaken and destroy the opposition as part of a political strategy.
He did say, though, that the opposition would not give up on trying to save Nigeria, even though it was hard and there wasn’t much time before the 2027 election.
He also said that Nigerians don’t trust the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) anymore because of the way Professor Joash Amupitan runs it.
Mark ended by saying that the will of the people will win if the opposition stays united.
Here is everything he said.
1. We are all here today because our country needs us to be patriotic. I pray that history will remember us as the people who answered the nation’s call for help. We answered when mothers cried out in pain after burying their children who had been killed by bandits. We answered when fathers and husbands watched their daughters and wives being raped by terrorists. We answered when workers who were struggling couldn’t afford to get to work. We answered when children went to bed hungry. We answered when proud, hardworking citizens became beggars. What did we do, history will ask? What part did we play? Everyone here and millions more who are with us but not here in person will say yes.
2. The call to save Nigeria is not just a slogan for the opposition. We can all see the proof. Insecurity has become a big part of daily life all over our country. Nigeria is facing a historic challenge. The country is dealing with things like an avoidable long-term insurgency and terrorism, constant banditry and mass kidnappings, and a steady rise in violent crime in its cities.
3. The numbers are scary. Nigeria had more than 12,000 deaths related to conflict in 2025 alone. This number is higher than the combined numbers of countries that are currently at war, such as Syria, Iraq, and Yemen. The global terrorism index now puts Nigeria in fourth place. Even though the government keeps making claims and acting like things are getting better, they are not. In 2025, the number of people killed by terrorism around the world went down by 28%, but the number of people killed in Nigeria went up by 46%. Every day, at least 15 Nigerians are killed and about 19 are kidnapped. In the first three months of this year, about 1,400 Nigerians have been killed or taken in different parts of the country. Families are broken up, whole communities are uprooted, and jobs are lost. Freedom has been replaced by fear, and hope has been replaced by doubt.
4. But the government, whose main job it is to protect the people, acts like nothing is wrong. We are a country that is always in mourning, one that buries its citizens too often, and one that needs leaders and protection. The APC-led government is acting like everything is fine, even though these murders and kidnappings keep happening. The government is too busy with politics and elections to do anything else.
5. Giving people a choice is what democracy is all about. The constitution of our country gives the people the power to vote out a government that has failed, like this one has. But based on what we’ve seen lately, the ruling party has done everything it can to stop the people of Nigeria from having this right to look for another option. This government has attacked the opposition parties hard over the past three years in an effort to take away people’s right to choose. They want to force Nigeria to become a one-party state. More and more, institutions that should protect our freedom and the will of the people are being attacked. The right of citizens to choose their leaders freely is being taken away. The freedom of democratic institutions is being threatened. In fact, it is getting harder and harder to say that what we have today is a fully functioning democracy in both form and substance.
6. We have to rescue Nigeria as part of our mission. When we, as members of the opposition, say that our only goal is to save Nigeria, we are not lying or putting on a show. What we have to do is nothing less than a national rescue mission. It is a mission that came about because we had to, because our people were suffering, and because the time was right.
7. I want to stress that this duty is much more important than political feelings, personal interests, or personal goals. The future of our country, which includes its survival and restoration, is more important than any one of us. Everyone in the opposition has to make sacrifices. I know for sure that no one political party in the opposition, no matter how strong, can take on a system that is so deeply rooted and so determined to stay in power at all costs. What we are up against is a government that has shown, both in words and actions, that it is willing to weaken democratic institutions and silence dissenting voices. We shouldn’t make a mistake about this. There is a real move toward a one-party state. It has never happened in this country before, and it won’t happen in our lifetime.
8. The government has said that it is not their job to help the opposition grow. They are correct. And we don’t want anything like that from them. They call what they’re doing to opposition political parties “strategy.” I call it cruel. But is it their job to get rid of the opposition, as they have tried to do so openly? Is it possible to do what they have been doing and still say they believe in democracy or are a democrat? The answer is definitely NO.
9. We shouldn’t have any doubts. The people who have tried to make our political parties less stable will not stop. Even as we are all here, they are already plotting ways to hurt us even more, split us up, and cause problems between us. But we must remember where the rains first hit us on our way. We need to remember how we got to where we are now. We need to remember how we got here. We need to be clear that we can’t face the future as separate groups. To save our country, we need to work together. For these reasons, we must be honest and fair in our dealings and at this gathering. We need to be honest with each other and show all our cards. There can’t be any secret plans, last-minute surprises, or room for doubt. More than anything else, our ability to build and keep trust may be the most important thing for the success of our group effort.
10. We are in a race against time and have a short amount of time to do it. Because of how urgent our situation is, we can’t keep making the same mistakes. We need to be able to rise above small-mindedness and reject the petty parochialism that has historically split the opposition in this country. Now is the time to change the story of how coalitions are made in Nigeria.
11. The APC government has a record of failure. What is left behind is a strong reliance on propaganda and a constant attack on voices of dissent. But we won’t get into a propaganda war. We won’t trade truth for noise. Their use of propaganda only shows that they have a bigger problem: they can’t take responsibility and they aren’t honest. Nigerians are watching, and they know what’s really going on behind the lies and the smoke. They see a government that has let them down and hasn’t shown any concern for their pain.
12. This is why we have said many times that the fight ahead of us is no longer a normal political contest. The APC, which is the ruling party, is running against the people of Nigeria. The APC is running against the mother who just buried her child, the father who works hard but can’t feed his family, the young graduate who sees no future, and the retiree who has been left alone after decades of service. We are with the people. So, God is on our side.
13. The fact that the economic management team has changed recently is itself a sign of failure. You don’t change leaders when a system is working well. At this point, changing the cabinet won’t change the people’s minds.
14. Ladies and gentlemen, as I finish, I want to take this chance to say again that the credibility of our democracy depends on the impartiality and honesty of its electoral institutions. If the referee clearly and proudly wears the jersey of one of the teams in a match he is supposed to be officiating, it makes the whole process less legitimate. In this case, Nigerians no longer trust the electoral body, INEC. INEC is no longer an unbiased referee. And if nothing changes, Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan will soon be in charge of the most untrustworthy election in Nigerian history. It’s better to let your mind run wild with the effects.
15. Let it be known loud and clear that we did not back down when Nigeria was at a turning point in its history and was on the edge of uncertainty. We didn’t let our own goals get in the way of what Nigerians wanted, which was a better life. We didn’t give in to the urge to be petty or to pursue our own goals. We chose to be together instead of apart, to give up our own needs for the good of the country.
16. This summit should be remembered as the time when everything changed. Let this be the start of a powerful movement that will bring back the respect for our democracy, protect the lives of our people, and rebuild the foundations of our country.
17. I am very sure that if we all stand together with determination, discipline, and honesty, no force will be able to stop what the Nigerian people want. May history remember us for our bravery, our sacrifice, and our determination to protect our democracy and our country. When Nigeria called, we answered without hesitation. When our people needed us, we didn’t waver and we didn’t let them down.
