Mark urges Nigerians to join party’s mission to rescue country

By Ladan Nasidi,Kano

The National Chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Senator David Mark, has called on Nigerians to join the party’s mission to rescue the country from what he described as an “authoritarian one-party state” and a government that behaves like an “army of occupation”.

This is contained in a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media Paul Mumeh in Kano on Thursday.

In his New Year message, Mark acknowledged the hardships faced by Nigerians in 2025, citing rising costs of living, food, basic drugs, and transportation, made worse by government policies.

He criticized the APC government’s imposition of stringent taxes, saying they will “renew hopelessness”

Mark emphasized the ADC’s commitment to patriotism and service to the people, urging Nigerians to overcome doubts and join the party’s historic mission.

He expressed faith in the power of the people and the possibility of a better Nigeria.

Sen. Mark said that the 2025 was a tough year for most Nigerians.

The government’s promises of renewed hope gave way to widespread hardship, with rising living costs leaving food, medicine, and transport unaffordable for many.

Instead of offering relief in 2026, the APC government is imposing stringent taxes that’ll worsen the crisis. These taxes will only deepen hopelessness.

Yet, 2025 also brought a defining moment: the launch of Nigeria’s opposition coalition under the African Democratic Congress (ADC) on July 2. Our goal is to rescue Nigeria from authoritarian rule and a government that feels like an occupying force, not a people’s government.

Since we announced the coalition, we have been encouraged by the overwhelming support and enthusiasm of ordinary Nigerians across the length and breadth of our country.

We are aware that because of the repeated failure of governments to deliver on past promises, many are sceptical, but we call on you to overcome your doubts, to rise beyond your cynicism, and to join us in this historic mission.

We do not claim to be perfect, but do not doubt our sense of duty and our commitment to be on the good side of history.

No matter what we say, “We have seen all this before,” they say. “We have heard all this before,” they say.

But we call on you to overcome your doubts, to rise beyond your cynicism, and to join us in this historic mission. We do not claim to be perfect, but do not doubt our sense of duty and our commitment to be on the good side of history.

When all hope appeared lost, when the ship of our country floundered, when it looked like Nigeria would never rise again, it would be said that some people came together, not because they were perfect, but because they recognised the significance of the moment and said Nigeria must not fail. It must rise again.

Fellow Nigerians, we know you are tired. You have every reason to be. But you cannot afford to give up now, because this country belongs to all of us. They want you to stop believing. They want you to stop voting. But if we rise together, not with violence but with vision, not with anger but with courage, then 2026 can be the year we begin to take our country back, the year the poor begin to breathe again.

So let us walk into the new year, not in fear, but in faith.


Faith in the power of the people.
Faith in the possibility of something better.
Faith that Nigeria’s story is not yet done.
From all of us at the African Democratic Congress, and from my heart as a father, a soldier, and a servant of this republic, I say Happy New Year. May 2026 bring us strength. May it bring us healing. And may it bring us closer to the Nigeria we still believe is possible.

God bless the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
And God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.