Colonel David Mark

President of the Senate

Date of Birth: 08/04/1948
Place of Birth: Otukpo

Education: St Francis Catholic Practising School, Otukpo, 1956-61; Nigerian Military School, Zaria, 1962-66; Nigeria Defence Academy, Kaduna, 1967-70; School of Signals, Blandford, United Kingdom, 1970; College of Military Engineering, Poona, Military College of Telecommunication Engineering, Mhow, 1971-75; Command Staff College, Jaji, 1978-79; National Defence University, Washington DC, 1990-91; Harvard University, Boston, 1991-92.

Career: Commander 1 Division Headquarters & Signals, Kaduna; Commandant, School of Signals, Lagos; Staff Officer, Operations Headquarters & Signals Lagos; Sports Officer, Signal Brigade, Lagos; Faculty Director, National War College; General Staff Officer, Grade I Coordinate Command & Staff College, Jaji; Directing Staff Officer, Command and Staff College, Jaji; Commander, 3rd Marine Signals Division, Port-Harcourt; Brigade Major, Signal Brigade, Lagos; Director of Telecommunications, Army Headquarters, Lagos; Chairman, Abandoned Properties Implementation Commission; Military Governor, Niger State, 1984-86; Minister of Communications, 1987; self-imposed exile, 1993-98; Senator, Benue South, 1999-03; Senator, Benue South, 2003-07; Senator, Benue South, 2007 to date; Senate President, 2007 to date.

Commentary: While Minister of Communications in the 1980s, Mark once said telephones were not meant for poor people. He and General Joshua Dogonyaro were reported to have vowed to kill Chief Moshood Abiola if power were handed to him. A messy divorce saw him pay a £6 million settlement to a former wife (his fifth). He was also a staunch supporter of Olusegun Obasanjo’s bid to alter the constitution to allow a third term. His frequent support for people in power had him named one of “IBB's boys” while Ibrahim Babangida was Head of State. He was secured the Senate presidency by Obasanjo.