Four Times Lucky
Distinguished Senator David Alechenu Bonaventure Mark, a Christian by faith is an Idoma man from Benue South Senatorial District of Benue State and was born in 1948 in Zungeru in the present Niger State.
He was first elected in 1999 on the platform of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to represent his people of Benue South in the upper chamber of the National Assembly and has since been re-elected three times to serve for fourth term.
In year 2007, he was elected as Senate President as the position was zoned to his geopolitical zone after the election. After much horse trading and intense lobbying, Senator Mark was unanimously endorsed by his colleagues in the Senate as Senate President for the second time.
Prior to his venture into politics, Mark had a brilliant career in the military where he rose to serve as Governor of Niger State in January 1984 and later as Minister of Communication under the military rule of General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida. He served in various capacity in the Nigerian political landscape and was Chairman, Senate Committee on States and Local Governments Affairs between 1999 and 2003.
Senator David Mark is and advocate of creation of more states in the country and has professed the birth of a new National Assembly and increasing maturity of our democracy in his acceptance speech.
He promised to continue with the collegiate leadership style that he adopted in the Sixth Senate, adding: “I will preside with the fear of God,” and that the diversity of representation in the Senate was a consolation that all the senators would bring in their experience to move Nigeria forward.
While emphasizing the need for co-operation and collaboration among the senators as well as co-operation between the other arms of government, Senator Mark reminded his colleagues that “we are as strong and as effective as the strength of our team work. For effectiveness, we must ensure collaboration, team spirit, networking and consensus building through dialogue and consultation.
To accomplish more, we have to listen and consult more with the civil society, the organized private sector and other major stakeholders” he declared at the inauguration of the seventh assembly.