Olusegun Ariyo
Former Senate President David Mark has officially resigned from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), bringing to an end his decades-long association with the party he helped found.
Mark, who played a key role in shaping the PDP since its inception, announced his resignation in a letter dated June 27.
The development follows his recent appointment as one of the interim leaders of the coalition-backed African Democratic Congress (ADC), a move that signals a shift in Nigeria’s evolving political landscape.
In his resignation letter addressed to the PDP leadership in Otukpo Ward 1, Benue State, Mark cited the party’s deep-seated leadership crisis and irreconcilable differences as the reasons behind his departure.
“The irreconcilable differences in the PDP have subjected the party to public ridicule and reduced it to a shadow of its former self,” he noted.
Reflecting on his loyalty and contributions to the PDP over the years, Mark said:
“I bring warm greetings to you and members of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Otukpo Ward 1, and by extension, to the entire Benue State and Nigeria. I write to formally inform you of my decision to resign my membership of the party with immediate effect.
“You may recall that over the years, I have remained firm and deeply committed to the ideals of the PDP. Even when nearly all stakeholders departed the party following our loss in the 2015 presidential election, I pledged to remain the last man standing.
“I have worked steadfastly to rebuild, reconcile, and reposition the party, efforts which, without sounding immodest, helped restore the PDP to national relevance and made it once again a party of choice for many Nigerians,” he said.
However, he lamented that recent internal conflicts have severely weakened the party.
“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,” he added.
Mark said the decision to leave the PDP came after extensive consultations with family, political allies, and close associates. He declared his next political move:
“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,” he stated.
