2027: ADC Coalition Will Halt Nigeria’s Slide Into One-Party Rule – David Mark

The acting National Chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), David Mark, has declared that the recently formed coalition of opposition political parties is Nigeria’s last hope to halt the country’s descent into a one-party dictatorship.

Naija News reports that Mark, a former Senate President, made the remarks on Wednesday in Abuja, at the official unveiling of ADC as the adopted platform for the coalition ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Addressing a gathering of political stakeholders, civil society leaders, and party members at the event, Mark warned that Nigeria’s democracy is under threat, citing what he described as “unprecedented hijacking” of national institutions by the current administration.

He said, “This coalition goes beyond gaining political power. It is a concerted effort to rebuild the crumbling pillars of Nigeria’s democracy.”

He stressed that the coalition consists of a broad alliance of opposition groups, youth organisations, civil society actors, and patriots determined to rescue the country from total state capture.

Mark accused the federal government of systematically undermining democratic structures and silencing dissent, describing the political climate as dangerously close to civilian dictatorship.

“Since this administration took office two years ago, it has hijacked all democratic institutions and pushed Nigeria toward total civilian dictatorship,” he warned.

He further alleged that the government is actively destabilising opposition parties, aiming to create a political monopoly that would leave Nigerians with no real choice in the 2027 polls.

The former lawmaker also launched a scathing attack on the government’s handling of corruption and governance, accusing it of prioritising politics over the welfare of citizens.

“We have never seen a government so much at home with corruption, a government that disdains accountability in all ramifications,” Mark said.

He lamented that millions of Nigerians are wallowing in hunger and poverty, while the government continues with endless politicking instead of delivering governance.

Mark expressed deep concern over the persistent insecurity ravaging many parts of the country. He said bandits and kidnappers continue to kill innocent Nigerians daily, yet the government appears helpless or unwilling to act decisively.

He also criticised the National Assembly for allegedly becoming a “mere appendage of presidential authority,” allowing unconstitutional policies to thrive unchecked.

Mark said, “This is a dangerous conspiracy against the Nigerian people. This coalition is for all Nigerians who believe we have a patriotic duty to save our country.”

He reaffirmed that the ADC, now serving as the official platform for the coalition, would be a party of equal stakeholders, built on transparency, inclusion, and true democratic traditions.

“This party is not merely another electoral vehicle but a fortress and platform of our revived democracy,” he said.

He outlined the coalition’s core values, which he said stand in stark contrast to the ruling party’s style of governance.

Mark added, “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. 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.”