David Mark Slams APC Over Abrupt Economic Policies, ADC Proposes Citizen-Focused Reforms
Senator David Mark, the National Chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), has launched a scathing critique against the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) government, attributing Nigeria's failed economic policies to persistent abrupt rollouts without sufficient sequencing and adequate protection for the most vulnerable citizens. Speaking in Abuja on Tuesday, Mark accused the APC of prioritizing the suppression of opposition parties over addressing critical issues that matter to Nigerians, while assuring that the ADC seeks to rectify these weaknesses through its newly proposed policy framework.
ADC's Policy Committee Presents Interim Report
The former President of the Nigerian Senate made these remarks during the presentation of an interim report by the ADC Policy and Manifesto Committee, chaired by former Edo State Governor John Odigie-Oyegun, to the party's National Working Committee (NWC). Mark highlighted that one standout principle from the committee's work is that survival income must not be taxed, reflecting a fundamental moral truth. He argued that a nation where citizens provide their own electricity, security, and amenities cannot build prosperity by taxing those struggling merely to survive.
According to Mark, a fair tax system must protect everyday Nigerians by ensuring that the burden of adjustment is carried by those with the greatest capacity to contribute. The committee has also proposed the principle of a legal guarantee of social protection through a Social Protection Act, aimed at safeguarding safety-net programmes from political disruption and ensuring continuity across administrations. This is important because social protection should not depend on political cycles. It must be institutionalised, Mark emphasized.
Security and Justice Reforms
On the issue of security, the ADC National Chairman pointed out that the committee identified a major weakness in the current system, where arrests for kidnapping and banditry often do not lead to swift justice to create deterrence. To address this, the committee proposed that swift and credible justice outcomes must serve as a deterrence mechanism. In their full report, they recommended that an ADC government would designate kidnapping and banditry as terrorism, subject to the harshest possible punishment under the law.
Democratic Citizenship as Core Philosophy
Other key recommendations from the committee illustrate the depth of thinking in this framework. The ADC's philosophy of governance centers on the principle of democratic citizenship—the idea that citizenship is not just an identity but a qualification for specific rights and responsibilities. This is anchored on the belief that Nigeria must be rebuilt so that the citizen becomes the primary pillar and beneficiary of governance. Public institutions must exist to deliver value to citizens, not to serve networks of privilege or political patronage.
Mark stated, Authority must be exercised as a public trust, and government must be judged by its ability to improve the lives, security, and opportunities of the Nigerian people. He added that these examples show the ADC's commitment to rescuing Nigeria goes beyond mere politics, rooted in an ideology that Nigeria has a duty to provide leadership to Africa and the black race by investing in the development and empowerment of its people.
Next Steps and Consultation Process
The submission of this interim report marks the end of the first phase of the committee's assignment. Mark stressed that the work is not finished, and the principles must now be tested, challenged, refined, and strengthened through broad engagement with the Nigerian people, policy experts, civil society organisations, and stakeholders across the six geopolitical zones. This consultation process aims to ensure that the ADC's final manifesto is grounded in the realities of Nigerians and shaped by their aspirations.
By the 2027 elections, Mark asserted, the ADC must stand before the Nigerian people with clarity, credible solutions, and a practical pathway to national renewal. He reiterated that this manifesto will serve as the grundnorm from which all ADC elected officials will derive their operating and governance principles, not leaving it to the discretion of any official to decide what to do with power.
Committee Chairman's Remarks
Earlier, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, chairman of the committee, stated that the presentation of the first phase report marks a milestone in ADC's journey toward presenting a credible governing alternative. He said, We were asked to move the Party from political rhetoric to policy clarity, from aspiration to execution, from opposition to preparedness. Their mandate was to develop a coherent, solution-driven policy framework that positions the ADC as a government-in-waiting.
Odige-Oyegun emphasized that Nigeria must rebuild a citizen-centred state where institutions serve citizens, the economy produces jobs, security protects communities, and governance delivers measurable value. This framework is not a catalogue of promises but a governing philosophy that an ADC government will adopt.
Mark concluded by formally receiving the interim report on behalf of the NWC, commending the committee for its progress and urging urgency in completing the final policy framework for adoption at the party's National Convention scheduled for April.
