Former Senate President and Interim APC Chairman, David Mark, has raised alarm over the worsening situation in Northern Nigeria, emphasizing that only courageous and united action can halt the region’s ongoing decline.
He asserted that the African Democratic Congress (ADC) is the only political party equipped with the vision and determination to tackle the North’s escalating challenges.
Mark made these remarks during the 3rd expanded meeting of the National Political Consultative Group (North), held at the Abuja Continental Hotel.
The event attracted party members and supporters from various parts of the country.
Addressing the theme, “Unity and social cohesion as panacea to the challenges facing Northern Nigeria,” Mark painted a bleak picture of the North’s worsening insecurity, growing poverty, and increasing social fragmentation.
“These challenges did not develop overnight nor will they disappear until we resolve to take deliberate, collective and decisive action. We must first admit that we are the architects of our problems, we must stop the blame game if we truly and genuinely want to find a lasting solution,” Mark said.
He stressed that disunity, apathy, and inaction have only made matters worse, urging northerners to embrace the values that once made the region thrive.
“Division has cost us progress, while indifference and inaction have continued to deepen our division. If we are to overcome our present travails, we must return to the principles of justice, equity, mutual respect, and shared purpose that once made Northern Nigeria a beacon of hope, peace, unity and development,” he said.
He added that, “The time for lamentation is over. The North is bleeding profusely, and we are the only ones who can heal it. Let us commit today to reject hate speech and divisive politics, invest in unifying projects-education, healthcare and infrastructure, hold each other accountable for our actions and inactions and shake hands across the divide and restore our bond of brotherhood.”
He added, “If we do these, I have no doubt we will rebuild this region into a powerhouse of not just peace and social cohesion but also of economic progress, human ingenuity and compassion.”
Mark voiced serious concern over the impact of a decade-long wave of violence in Northern Nigeria, citing rampant banditry, insurgency, and communal clashes that have ravaged rural areas, displaced millions, and crippled economic development.
He lamented that, despite the region’s rich natural and human resources, Northern Nigeria remains mired in poverty, plagued by some of the highest rates of illiteracy, unemployment, and deteriorating infrastructure in the country.
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