Ahead of the 2027 poll, the coalition led by the African Democratic Congress (ADC) has intensified the quest to rally the citizenry in the Northern part of the country as part of ongoing strategies aimed at unseating the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led administration.
At the 3rd expanded meeting of the National Political Consultative Group (North), held at the Continental Hotel, Abuja, on Saturday, the Protem National Chairman of the ADC, Sen. David Mark, identified insecurity, biting poverty, and ethno-religious conflict as some of the challenges besetting the Northern part of the country.
Mark, who described the North as a land of rich history and mineral resources, fertile land for agriculture, diverse cultures, and immense potential, insists that the ADC remains the only political platform to take the North out of the woods.
Mark, who delivered a keynote address titled “Unity and social cohesion as a panacea to the challenges facing northern Nigeria,” expressed concern that over the last decade, banditry, terrorism, insurgency, and communal clashes have turned villages into battlegrounds, displacing millions and crippling our economy.
He remarked that despite its vast resources, the North remains the poorest region in the country, with alarming rates of illiteracy, unemployment, and poor infrastructure.
Blaming poor governance for the problems, he said it is necessary for Nigerians from the north to take a lesson from the late Premier of the North, Sir Ahmadu Bello, the leader of the Northern Element Progressive Union (NEPU), Malam Aminu Kano, by coming together to ensure the north returns to the path of sustainable growth and development.
He noted: “As leaders, as politicians or just as ordinary citizens, all of us must consider it our sacred duty to be bridge-builders, not dividers in our local communities. Too often, as politicians, we exploit ethnic and religious differences to win elections, and thereafter, we leave our people hopelessly divided.
“The destructive weaponisation of ethnicity and religion we saw in the last election is unacceptable. This is where the African Democratic Congress (ADC) will make the difference. For us, politics is about service and not manipulation.
“The major cause of division in Northern Nigeria is the perception of marginalisation. We must ensure fairness in appointments, resource allocation, and opportunities. Resentment grows when any group feels excluded. But when all see themselves as equal stakeholders, peace flourishes.
“Ignorance is the biggest enemy of unity, social cohesion and development. We must invest in education that teaches our children the value of diversity. Let our schools, churches and mosques preach tolerance. Let our media promote stories of cooperation. For as long as we continue to treat investment in education with levity and frivolity, for that long shall we continue to reap poverty and insecurity.
“Our security challenges are self-inflicted. We cannot continue to expect solutions from elsewhere. Northern Nigeria used to be the safest part of Nigeria. There were no armed robbery, kidnapping, cultism or fraudsters, but today the story in the North is different.
“The Native Authority, the precursor of today’s Local Government Area, used to have an effective community policing infrastructure where villagers protected each other. We have to find a way to reorganise our people in their villages to return to these age-old and tested practices.
“Wherever conflicts arise, we must choose dialogue over inflammatory rhetoric, peace mediation over mutual annihilation, repentance and forgiveness over vengeance. Too much blood has been shed in our land. It is time to make peace.”
Among the coalition members from across the northern part of the country attending the event were the former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal, and the former Governor of Kaduna State, Malam Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai.
A communique is expected to be made public at the end of the parley, which is being held behind closed doors as of 2.20 pm.
