David Mark has resigned from PDP citing leadership crisis and joined opposition coalition.
NewsOnline Nigeria reports that Former President of the Senate, David Mark, has formally resigned from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), marking the end of his decades-long association with the party he helped establish.
In a letter dated June 27 and personally signed by him, Mark said his decision was driven by the deepening leadership crisis and internal divisions that have plagued the PDP in recent years. He described the party as a shadow of its former self and lamented its descent into public ridicule.
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Mark’s exit follows his recent appointment as one of the interim leaders of the newly adopted opposition coalition under the African Democratic Congress (ADC), which is being positioned as a united front ahead of the 2027 general elections.
“I bring warm greetings to you and members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Otukpo Ward 1, and by extension, to the entire Benue State and Nigeria,” the statement began. “I write to formally inform you of my decision to resign my membership of the party with immediate effect.”
Mark recounted his unwavering loyalty to the PDP over the years, noting that he stood with the party through its most challenging moments, including its defeat in the 2015 presidential election.
“Even when nearly all stakeholders departed the party following our loss in 2015, I pledged to remain the last man standing,” he wrote. “I have worked steadfastly to rebuild, reconcile, and reposition the party. Without sounding immodest, these efforts helped restore the PDP to national relevance.”
However, he said the party has since drifted further into dysfunction. “Recent events marked by deepening divisions, persistent leadership crisis, and irreconcilable differences have reduced the party to a shadow of its former self, subjecting it to public ridicule.”
Mark concluded by affirming his commitment to a new political direction: “After wide consultations with my family, friends, and political associates, I have resolved to join the National Coalition of Political Opposition Movement in Nigeria, as part of the collective effort to rescue our nation and preserve our hard-earned democracy.”
His departure is seen as a major blow to the PDP and a boost to the coalition movement seeking to realign Nigeria’s opposition landscape ahead of 2027.
