David Mark: An iconic lawmaker in ‘siddon look’ mode in 8th Senate

Celebration was high and infectious last week when David Bonaventure Mark was announced winner of a re-run senatorial election in his Benue South senatorial district.

The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) joined in the glass-clinking merriment over Mark’s return. The umbrella party, which is battling within and without to regain its lost voice and stability since the shocking and disastrous defeat by the All Progressives Congress (APC), found time for chest-beating and self-adulation.

Congratulating Mark, the National Publicity Secretary of PDP, Olisa Metuh, said the senator’s victory signalled the support the party still enjoyed with Nigerians.

“It is instructive to note that the PDP had won 70 percent of all the polls conducted since May 29, 2015, a development that underlines the fact of its deep roots and popularity as a brand, irrespective of the transitory setback of the 2015 general elections,” the party said.

Although Mark was returned winner in the March 2015 election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the Appeal Court had nullified the election in line with the petition of his closest rival in the race, Daniel Onjeh, candidate of the APC.

Onjeh had approached the Benue State National and State Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal, claiming that the election was not free and fair and had faulted the decision of INEC to declare Mark winner, but the tribunal in its ruling had dismissed the APC candidate’s claim, and upheld Mark’s victory.

A Court of Appeal, sitting in Makurdi, however, quashed the decision of the tribunal, and nullified the election. The court faulted the decision of the Independent National Electoral Commission to declare Mark, the candidate of the PDP, winner of the senatorial election in Benue South.

Some analysts believe that having been in the Senate for 16 years and as Senate president for eight years, David Mark should have no business returning to the red chamber of the National Assembly ab initio.

But, it was noted in some quarters that the calculation was that Goodluck Jonathan would have been returned as president and that would have meant that Mark would have continued as Senate president as there would have been no alteration in the zoning arrangement. But since he had already entered the race before Jonathan’s ouster, there’s no way he could have withdrawn.

Indeed, Mark is one of the few Nigerians “whose palm-kernels were cracked for them by a benevolent spirit …” in the words of Chinua Achebe, in his Things Fall Apart’ novel.

Mark has reaped bountifully from Nigeria and still reaping at age 68. He was a retired Nigerian Army Brigadier-General and politician who was Senate President from 2007 to 2015. Prior to his senatorial career, Mark was a military governor of Niger State and a former minister of communication.

Since the return of Nigeria to civil rule in 1999, Mark has been in the Senate, representing Benue South senatorial district. He was determined to continue his Senate presidency had the last presidential election favoured the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) as earlier stated. Since the inauguration of the 8^th Senate last year, Mark has been in silent mode, sitting and watching as other senators make presentations on the floor of the house.

For him, according to observers, his presence in the Senate is nothing but a status symbol where he maintains an office and permanent address. Although it may be difficult to say exactly why he does not make any contribution on the floor of the Senate, some analysts however, say he may be avoiding dominating the affairs of the Senate or that he may be accused of throwing himself about and of showing off if he decided to make contribution in every item of discussion in the red chamber assembly.

But critics wonder why he claims to be representing a senatorial district without making any contribution to discussions. Those who hug this reason say since he has seen it all, there was no reason for him to have gone again, and should have, instead, allowed another person to fill the slot.

An observer said that Mark’s decision to continue in the Senate may be in sync with the practice in some developed democracies where some people have remained in the Senate for several years and have become institutions there.

“In America, for instance, people are not easily changed. You see some lawmakers who have been in the legislative house for over 15, 20 years. These are those who have mastered the art and science of lawmaking and are able to advise the country aright. They have become institutions in their own right. The difference is that unlike here where the motivation is naira and kobo, over there, they are driven by love of country; what they can contribute to the growth of their country through quality legislation and representation. Senator Mark may have good intentions, we are still watching,” an analyst who asked for anonymity said.

Before the re-run, Mark had sounded optimistic when in December last year the PDP caucus in the Senate paid him a solidarity visit. He had given the assurance that Benue South Senatorial zone would remain impenetrable for the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC).

He said rather enthusiastically, “The Appellate tribunal judgment came as a surprise to me. But I am happy there is opportunity for a rerun election. I can assure you that any day, any time, my people will vote for me.

“Benue South Senatorial zone is totally a PDP area. One Senator, the four House of Representative members, 10 out of 11 state House of Assembly members are all members of the PDP. So, clearly, there is no room for APC or any other party in my area.

“Be rest assured that under a free and fair contest, I have no challenger. My people would not be cowed or intimidated to do otherwise.”

“Unless we are going to see a new Mark now that his seat has been secured, otherwise some of us were beginning to draw conclusion that he must have seen the Senate as ‘big boys’ cult, rather than as a place for serious business of law-making,” an analyst said.

“But give it to him; he was able to safely pilot the Senate in the eight years he was there. He is a very brilliant and mature politician. Something tells me that if he has not been talking, it is not for want of what to say, but in order not to rock the boat. But make no mistake about it; the leadership of the Senate would always be apprehensive of what a David Mark would say, any day, any time. Any time he puts up his hand to say something, the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, may be jittery. We need such people in the system, the analyst further said.

Martins Onye, a school principal in Lagos explained that Mark was being careful not to be misunderstood by leadership of the Senate.

“As a former president of the Senate, all eyes are on him and whatever he does would be seen as a standard. Have you forgotten that while the Senate was rowdy over Saraki, Mark quietly walked out of the chamber. He knows his level and conscious of his actions and inactions in the present dispensation,” Onye said.

Whether his victory this time around would benefit his constituency in particular and the country in general, is left to be seen.