David Mark

David Alechenu Bonaventure Mark ( ; born 8 April 1948¹) is a retired Nigerian army brigadier general and politician. He served as the 12th president of the Nigerian Senate from 2007 to 2015 and was the Senator for Benue South senatorial district from 1999 to 2019. He is a former member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) which he left in 2025 to join the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and become its interim National Chairman. Prior to his senatorial career, Mark was the military Governor of Niger State from 1984 to 1986, and is a one-time minister of communication. He is the longest serving president of the Nigerian Senate.

David Alechenu Bonaventure Mark ( ; born 8 April 1948) is a retired Nigerian army brigadier general and politician. He served as the 12th president of the Nigerian Senate from 2007 to 2015 and was the Senator for Benue South senatorial district from 1999 to 2019. He is a former member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) which he left in 2025 to join the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and become its interim National Chairman. Prior to his senatorial career, Mark was the military Governor of Niger State from 1984 to 1986, and is a one-time minister of communication. He is the longest serving president of the Nigerian Senate.

Early life and education

Mark was born in Otukpo Benue State in April 1948. He attended St. Francis Catholic Practicing School before attending the Nigerian Military School from 1962-1966. After that he attended the Nigerian Defence Academy from 1967-70. He was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in 1970 and became a Captain in 1971. He was Commandant of Static Communications in 1974, then later held a political post as Chairman Abandoned Properties Implementation Committee in the Eastern region in 1976.

Minister

Mark headed the Communications Ministry and its two major parastatals: Nigerian Telecommunications Limited (NITEL) and Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST). As Minister of Communications, Mark was sometimes known for his blunt talk; during a two-day walking tour of facilities in Akure in 1989, some union workers complained that some of its members had not been promoted since 1978. Mark's response was that those who had not been promoted may have to be retired, meaning that unproductive workers will have to be let go. He also espoused the opinion of death penalty for telecom cable thieves, as well as a policy of dismantling under-utilized telecom facilities citing political considerations for giving allocations to towns with limited use of phone networks.

Personal life

David Mark enjoys golf, tennis, and squash. He is an Idoma by tribe and is married to at least 4 wives. Mark has a country house with a helicopter and helipad.

References

External links

Assemblyonline Nigeria News: Gender equality impossible in politics says David Mark. BBC News: Legal blow for Nigerian senator; A tribunal in Nigeria has annulled the election of the president of the senate, David Mark.

Text derived from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1378354143 under CC BY-SA 4.0; modifications have been made.