The National Chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Senator David Mark, has warned that Nigeria is standing on the edge of deeper economic collapse, declaring that the hardship Nigerians endured in 2025 could worsen unless the country urgently changes course.
Speaking in Abuja on New Year’s Eve to usher in 2026, Mark said millions of Nigerians had been pushed to the brink by what he described as the failure of the APC-led government’s policies.
“2025 was a year of suffering,” Mark said. “The so-called renewed hope agenda has delivered renewed misery. Food, basic medicines and transportation have become luxuries, not necessities, for ordinary Nigerians.”
He accused the government of deepening poverty through policies that have driven up the cost of living and condemned plans to introduce new taxes in 2026, warning that they would further crush struggling households.
“These taxes will not renew hope,” he said. “They will renew hopelessness and push more Nigerians into poverty.”
Mark said Nigeria’s crisis goes beyond economics, warning that the country’s democracy is under threat. He described 2025 as a defining moment, recalling the July 2 formation of a broad opposition coalition under the ADC to stop what he called Nigeria’s dangerous drift toward a one-party state.
“Our coalition was born out of necessity,” he declared. “It is a response to a government that behaves more like an army of occupation than a government elected to serve the people.”
The former Senate President said the opposition understood the weight of its mission, stressing that national rescue would require sacrifice, discipline and patriotism above personal ambition.
He said Nigerians across the country had responded positively to the coalition, despite deep scepticism caused by years of broken promises. He urged citizens not to surrender to apathy.
“They want you to stop believing. They want you to stop voting. But if Nigerians rise together — not with violence, but with courage and vision — this country can be rescued,” Mark said.
Looking ahead, he said history would remember whether Nigerians chose despair or resistance at this critical moment.
“When the ship of state was sinking, some people stood up and said Nigeria must not fail,” he said.
Mark expressed hope that 2026 could mark a turning point, urging Nigerians to confront fear with faith in collective action.
“Let us step into the new year with faith — faith in the people and faith that Nigeria’s story is not over,” he said.
He concluded by wishing Nigerians a Happy New Year and paying tribute to fallen soldiers and victims of insurgency, banditry and violent crime, calling for prayers for their families and for national healing.
