Ralph Nwosu, the founder and national chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), has said the party is in a period of transition and described former Senate President David Mark as a leader with the capacity to guide the party forward.
This followed widespread reports on Saturday suggesting that David Mark had been appointed as the interim national chairman of the ADC.
When contacted by DAILY GAZETTE, Nwosu did not confirm or deny the report but acknowledged that the party was undergoing significant changes and would issue an official announcement the following week.
“ADC has been in transition for the last 18 months. Where we are going is to make sure that we can build it to a state where patriots and citizens of this country would believe that it is not business as usual — and people with the highest integrity and moral force would be put together to lead the way forward,” he said.
Nwosu, who has led the ADC since its founding, praised Mark’s political track record and described him as the kind of leader the party needs ahead of the 2027 general elections.
“The distinguished senator David Mark has served the country in different capacities, and he has displayed leadership and patriotism. That is the kind of leadership we want to showcase to our country moving forward,” he said.
He continued: “To build a stable, focused, disciplined culture in the political party, there is no better person than David Mark if he were to agree to do that patriotic job.
“It is not about zone, it is not about anything, it is about Nigeria. We have some decent men who have lived for Nigeria, and David Mark is one.
“He is, in any way, possibly the first exemplar of what we want to do for the country. But we will wait until next week. Everything would be clear to all Nigerians.”
When DAILY GAZETTE correspondent also reached out to Baba Abdullahi, the ADC’s national secretary, he similarly refrained from confirming or denying the appointment:
“It is not a hanging news, but let it be until it is presented well,” he said.
David Mark, a retired army general, served as President of the Senate from 2007 to 2015.
He remains a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and has not officially left the party.
Since early 2025, there has been a surge in opposition consultations aimed at building a coalition strong enough to challenge the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 presidential election.
Prominent figures reportedly involved in the talks include former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar; Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi; former Kaduna governor, Nasir el-Rufai; and former Rivers governor, Rotimi Amaechi.
