“We Must Rescue Nigeria” – Full Text of David Mark’s Summit Speech

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, on Saturday.

The former Senate President said in his speech that the meeting is a response to the call to save Nigeria.

He said that the problems with security 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 job it is to keep people safe, acts as if nothing is wrong.

Mark said that President Bola Tinubu’s current government was trying to weaken and destroy the opposition for political reasons.

He did, however, say that the opposition would not give up on trying to save Nigeria, even though there are problems and not much time left before the 2027 election.

He went on to say that Nigerians don’t trust the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) anymore because of Professor Joash Amupitan’s leadership.

Mark ended by saying that the people’s will will win if the opposition stays united.

Here is the whole thing he said.

1. We are all here today because our country needs us to do our patriotic duty. My prayer is that history will remember us. When the country cried out for help, we answered. When we heard the pain of mothers who had just buried their children killed by bandits, we answered. When we saw the silent pain of fathers and husbands who had to watch their daughters and wives being raped by terrorists, we answered. When workers who were having trouble getting to work couldn’t afford to pay for transportation, we answered. When children went to bed hungry, we answered. When proud, hardworking citizens became beggars, we answered. What did we do? History will ask. What part did we play? Everyone here and millions of others 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. Everyone can see the proof. Insecurity has become a part of everyday life all over our country. Nigeria is facing a historic challenge. There is an avoidable long-term insurgency and terrorism, constant banditry and mass kidnappings, and a steady rise in violent crimes in our cities.

3. The numbers are scary. More than 12,000 people died in Nigeria in 2025 because of violence. 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 tough, things keep getting worse. In 2025, the number of deaths from terrorism around the world went down by 28%, but the number of deaths in Nigeria went up by 46%. Every day, at least 15 Nigerians are killed and about 19 are kidnapped. This year, in just the first three months, about 1,400 Nigerians have been killed or taken in different parts of the country. People’s lives are turned upside down, families are torn apart, and businesses are ruined. Fear has taken the place of freedom, and doubt has taken the place of hope.

4. But the government, whose main job it is to keep the people safe, acts like nothing is wrong and doesn’t care. We are a country that is always in mourning, a country that buries its citizens far too often, and a country that needs leadership and protection. The APC-led government acts like everything is fine, even though these murders and kidnappings keep happening. The government is busy with politics and elections.

5. The main idea behind democracy is to give people a choice. The constitution of our country gives the people the right to vote out a government that has failed, as this one has. But based on what we’ve seen lately, the ruling party has done everything it can to keep the people of Nigeria from having this right to look for something else. This government has launched major attacks on the opposition parties in the last three years, all in an effort to take away the 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. People’s right to choose their leaders freely is being taken away. Democratic institutions are losing their independence. In fact, it’s getting harder and harder to call what we have today a fully functioning democracy in both form and substance.

6. We have to do our job of rescuing Nigeria. When we, as members of the opposition, say that our only goal is to save Nigeria, we are not lying or trying to make a political point. Our job is nothing less than to save the country. It is a mission that came about because of the suffering of our people and the need of the moment.

7. I need to stress that this duty is much more important than party loyalty, personal interest, or personal ambition. The survival and restoration of our country is more important than any one of us. Everyone in the opposition has to make a sacrifice. I’m sure that no one opposition party, no matter how strong, can stand up to a system that is so set in its ways and so determined to stay in power at all costs. We are up against a government that has shown, both in words and actions, that it is willing to undermine democratic institutions and silence dissenting voices. We shouldn’t get this wrong. 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 time.

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 racing against time and have a short amount of time to work. Because of how urgent our situation is, we can’t make the same mistakes over and over. We must be willing to rise above narrow feelings and reject petty parochialism that has historically divided the opposition in this country. This is the time to change the story of how Nigeria built coalitions.

11. The APC government has a history of failure. In its wake, there is an aggressive use of propaganda and a long-term attack on voices that disagree with it. We will not, however, take part in a propaganda contest. We will not replace truth with noise. Their use of propaganda only shows a bigger problem: they can’t take responsibility and they don’t have any integrity. Nigerians are watching, and they can see through the lies and the smoke. They see a government that has not lived up to their expectations and has not shown any concern for their pain.

12. This is why we have said many times that the fight we are in is no longer a normal political fight. The APC is the ruling party, and the Nigerian people are the opposition. 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 recent changes in the economic management team are a sign that they have failed. You don’t change leaders when a system is working well. At this late hour, changing the cabinet won’t change what the people think.

14. Ladies and gentlemen, as I finish, I want to take this chance to say once more that the credibility of our democracy depends on the fairness and honesty of its electoral institutions. It is not right for a referee to wear the jersey of one of the teams he is supposed to be officiating. This makes the whole process less legitimate. In this case, Nigerians don’t trust the electoral body INEC anymore. INEC is no longer an unbiased referee. And if nothing changes, Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan will be in charge of the most untrustworthy election in Nigerian history. It’s best to let your imagination run wild with the results.

15. Leaders of our parties, let it be known loud and clear that we did not waver when Nigeria was at a turning point in its history and on the edge of uncertainty. We didn’t let our own ambitions get in the way of Nigerians’ desire for a better life. We didn’t give in to the temptation of petty partisanship or selfish goals. We chose to be together instead of apart, to give up ourselves for others, and to put our country first.

16. This summit should be remembered as the time when everything changed. Let this be the start of a strong movement that will bring back the respect for our democracy, protect our people’s lives, and rebuild the foundations of our country.

17. I am very sure that if we all stand together with discipline, conviction, and honesty, nothing will be able to stop the will of the Nigerian people. We hope that history will remember us for our bravery, our sacrifice, and our determination to protect our democracy and our country. Let it be known that when Nigeria called, we answered with unwavering commitment, and when our people needed us, we did not falter or fail them.