By EMMANUEL OLONIRUHA

A former President of the Senate, Sen. David Mark, has resigned his membership of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Mark, one of the prominent opposition figures in the country, was on Tuesday appointed as the interim National Chairman of African Democratic Congress (ADC), the platform adopted by the opposition coalition.

NAN also reports that former Gov. Rauf Aregbesola of Osun also emerged as the interim National Secretary of ADC, under the National Coalition of Political Opposition Movement in Nigeria.

Mark?s resignation letter, entitled: ?Notice of resignation from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)?, dated July 27, was addressed to the chairman of Ward 1, Otukpo in Otukpo Local Government Area of Benue State.

He attributed his decision to quit PDP to recent developments which, he said, had reduced the party to a shadow of its former self, thus subjecting it to public ridicule.

?I bring warm greetings to you and members of the PDP, Otukpo Ward 1 and, by extension, to the entire Benue State and Nigeria. I write to formally inform you of my decision to resign my membership of the party with immediate effect.

?You may recall that over the years, I have remained firm and deeply committed to the ideals of the PDP.

?Even when nearly all stakeholders departed the party following our loss in the 2015 presidential election, I pledged to remain the last man standing.

?I have worked steadfastly to rebuild, reconcile and reposition the party, efforts which, without sounding immodest, helped restore the PDP to national relevance and made it once again a party of choice for many Nigerians.

?However, recent events marked by deepening divisions, persistent leadership crisis and irreconcilable differences have reduced the party to a shadow of its former self, subjecting it to public ridicule,? he said.

The former senate president said that after wide consultations with his family, friends and political associates, he resolved to join the National Coalition of Political Opposition Movement in Nigeria.

This, he said, was part of the collective efforts to rescue the country and preserve its hard-earned democracy. (NAN)

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