Former Senate President and elder statesman, David Mark, has called on leaders from Northern Nigeria to take full responsibility for the region’s challenges, urging a shift from finger-pointing to actionable solutions.
Speaking on Saturday at the Third Expanded Meeting of the National Political Consultative Group (NPCG) North, Mark emphasized the urgent need for introspection and collective resolve in addressing the deep-rooted socio-economic and security crises facing the region.
Mark, who currently serves as the Interim National Chairman of the opposition African Democratic Congress (ADC), asserted that Northern leaders must own up to their role in the region’s decline, despite its abundance of human and natural resources.
“We must first admit that we are the architects of our own problems,” he stated. “These challenges didn’t emerge overnight, and they won’t vanish unless we take deliberate, collective, and decisive action.”
He cautioned against the recurring culture of blame, highlighting that the region once stood as a model of peace, unity, and development. To restore that legacy, he urged leaders to embrace principles of justice, equity, mutual respect, and shared purpose.
Security and Development in Decline
Mark decried the North’s descent into insecurity and poverty, pointing out that over the last decade, banditry, terrorism, and communal conflicts have devastated communities, displaced millions, and crippled local economies.
“Despite being richly endowed, the North remains the poorest region in Nigeria,” he said, citing alarming levels of illiteracy, unemployment, and decaying infrastructure.
He further criticized Northern elites for prioritizing personal and sectional interests over collective progress, stressing that the lack of unity among the region’s ethnic and religious communities has been weaponized by desperate political actors.
“Insecurity deters investment. Poverty breeds crime. Ethnic and religious divisions erode our ability to demand accountability. This vicious cycle must be broken,” Mark warned.
A Call for Unity and Responsibility
Looking forward, the former Senate President called for a renewed spirit of unity among Northern leaders and communities. He emphasized the need to tone down inflammatory rhetoric and restore the mutual respect that once defined the region’s political culture.
“This is not the North we inherited. But it is within our power to change the narrative—if we choose unity over division, action over rhetoric, and leadership over lamentation.”
Mark concluded by challenging Northern leaders to put aside partisan differences and work collectively to revive the region’s fortunes—economically, politically, and socially.
