Senator David Mark, former Senate President and current National Chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), has asserted that Northern Nigeria is responsible for its own challenges, particularly its worsening insecurity and stalled development.
Delivering the keynote address at the 3rd Plenary Session of the Northern Political Consultative Group in Abuja, Mark declared that the region’s insecurity is largely “self-inflicted.”
He issued a stark warning: unless the North unites around a shared vision, it will continue to suffer from its internal divisions.
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The event, themed “Unity and Social Cohesion as Panacea to the Challenges Facing Northern Nigeria,” served as a platform for Mark to offer a blunt assessment of the North’s problems and advocate for urgent, deliberate, and collective action.
“We must first admit that we are the architects of our problems. We must stop the blame game if we truly and genuinely want to find a lasting solution,” he stated.
Mark lamented the paradox of the North: despite its abundant human and natural resources, it remains the most impoverished region in Nigeria, characterized by high illiteracy rates, unemployment, poor infrastructure, and escalating ethnic and religious divisions.
He emphasized that challenges like “banditry, terrorism, insurgency, and communal clashes” have, over the last decade, transformed villages into “battlegrounds,” displacing millions and crippling the economy.
He stressed that these issues are not spontaneous and will not disappear without a clear commitment to unity, equity, and purposeful leadership, adding that “Division has cost us progress, while indifference and inaction have continued to deepen our fragmentation.”
According to the former Senate President, the North’s problems are interconnected: insecurity deters investors and exacerbates poverty, which in turn fuels crime and social unrest, while political fragmentation undermines efforts towards meaningful development.
“This is not the North that we inherited,” he declared, tracing the decline to the erosion of values like justice, mutual respect, and shared purpose that once unified the region.
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Recalling the legacy of Sir Ahmadu Bello, the late Sardauna of Sokoto, Mark urged Northern leaders to revert to the spirit of inclusiveness and public service that defined the Sardauna era.
“Sardauna did not see Hausa, Fulani, Kanuri, Igala, Tiv, Idoma, Nupe, Okun and others. The only citizens he saw were Northerners. He invested in education, agriculture, and infrastructure — not for one group, but for the collective,” he highlighted.
Mark called for a new political culture founded on unity, equity, and mutual respect, condemning politicians’ exploitation of ethnic and religious differences, especially during elections.
“Too often, we exploit our differences to win elections, only to leave our people hopelessly divided. The weaponisation of ethnicity and religion, especially in the last election, is unacceptable,” he asserted.
He warned that the perception of marginalization fuels resentment and called for fairness in appointments, resource allocation, and opportunities, noting that “When all see themselves as equal stakeholders, peace flourishes.”
Mark stressed the importance of education in fostering tolerance and unity, warning that neglecting investment in education would lead to continued insecurity and poverty.
“Ignorance is the biggest enemy of unity, social cohesion, and development. Our schools, churches, mosques, and media must teach and preach tolerance,” he urged.
He also lamented the decline of traditional community policing structures that once secured the North, advocating for their revival through grassroots mobilization and village-based vigilance systems.
“Our security challenges are self-inflicted. We cannot continue to expect solutions from elsewhere,” he said.
“We must choose dialogue over incendiary rhetoric, peace mediation over mutual destruction, and forgiveness over vengeance.”
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Mark emphasized that the time for lamentation must yield to decisive action, warning that the North is “bleeding profusely” and only Northerners can stop the “haemorrhage.”
The ADC chairman urged Northern leaders and citizens to reject hate speech and divisive politics, and instead invest in unifying initiatives such as education, healthcare, infrastructure, and youth empowerment.
“Let us commit today to shake hands across the divide and restore our bond of brotherhood,” he implored. “If we do these, I have no doubt we will rebuild this region into a powerhouse of not just peace and social cohesion but also of economic progress, human ingenuity, and compassion.”
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