Former Minister and President of the Senate, David Mark has formally announced his resignation from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Mar has for over 20 years been a key figure and power broker within the PDP.
Senator Mark was elected to the Nigerian Senate in 1999 and he represented Benue South Senatorial District till 2019. He was the President of the Senate for two terms of eight years.
The retired Brigadier General was earlier in the week appointed the protem chairman of the African Democratic Movement (ADC), the party being touted as the rallying point of the opposition coalition movement being led by former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.
Announcing his resignation from the PDP in a letter dated June 27, 2025, the senator stated that he was leaving because of the “irreconcilable differences” that have trailed the PDP in the last few years.
Part of his resignation letter reads:
“I bring warm greetings to you and members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Otukpo Ward 1, and by extension, to the entire Benue State and Nigeria. I write to formally inform you of my decision to resign my membership of the party with immediate effect.
“You may recall that over the years, I have remained firm and deeply committed to the ideals of the PDP. Even when nearly all stakeholders departed the party following our loss in the 2015 presidential election, I pledged to remain the last man standing.
“I have worked steadfastly to rebuild, reconcile, and reposition the party, efforts which, without sounding immodest, helped restore the PDP to national relevance and made it once again a party of choice for many Nigerians,” he said.
However, he lamented that recent internal conflicts have severely weakened the party.
“Recent events marked by deepening divisions, persistent leadership crisis, and irreconcilable differences have reduced the party to a shadow of its former self, subjecting it to public ridicule,” he added.
Mark said the decision to leave the PDP came after extensive consultations with family, political allies, and close associates. He declared his next political move:
“After wide consultations with my family, friends, and political associates, I have resolved to join the National Coalition of Political Opposition Movement in Nigeria, as part of the collective effort to rescue our nation and preserve our hard-earned democracy.”
Senator Mark is expected to lead the new ADC alongside President Bola Tinubu’s estranged ally and former governor of Osun State, Rauf Aregbesola who was appointed the protem National Secretary of the ADC.
