David Mark

David Mark Biography / Profile

David Alechenu Bonaventure Mark GCON is a senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria representing Benue South Senatorial District and a former president of the senate. He was born on April 8, 1948 in Zungeru, Niger State.

David Mark Age

David Mark is 76 years old.

David Mark Early Life

Mark attended St. Francis Catholic Practicing School, Otukpo from 1956 to 1961 and then proceeded to the Nigerian Military School, Zaria from 1962 to 1966. He joined the Nigerian Defence Academy, Kaduna in1967 and graduated in 1970 and then attended the School of Signals, Blandford, United Kingdom, the same year.

He went to India for further training at the College of Military Engineering, Poona, the Military College of Telecommunication Engineering, Mhow, from 1971 to 1975

When he came back from India he attended the Command Staff College, Jaji, from 1978 to 79 and later went to the National Defence University, Washington DC, from 1990 to 1991 and Harvard University, Boston, from 1991 to 1992.

David Mark Career

Prior to joining civilian politics in 1999, Mark was an outstanding Military officer and administrator, holding several key military positions including; 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.

He was appointed the Military Governor of Niger State from 1984 to 1986 and was later made a Minister of Communications in 1987.

Mark went on a self-imposed exile from 1993 to 1998 at the end of his military service, but came back at the return to democracy in 1999.

In 1999, he contested for the Benue South Senatorial seat and won on the platform of the People’s Democratic Party(PDP). He was re-elected from 2003 to 2007.

In 2007, he was re-elected for the 2nd time and went on to became the Senate President, a position he held for 8 years from 2007 to 2011.

In 2011, Mark contested again for the Benue South Senatorial Seat and came out successful, making it his 4th political success in elections.

In the 2015 elections, he again re-contested for the Benue South Senatorial seat and won. However the election was annulled on the grounds of gross malpractices by The Court of Appeal, Makurdi Division in November, 2015.

The Court also ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to conduct fresh elections in the Benue South Senatorial District within 90 days.

In February, 2016, Mark was declared the winner of the election re-run, defeating his key rival Daniel Onje of the All Progressives Congress to clinch the senatorial seat for the 5th time in a row.

David Mark Personal Life

Senator David Mark is polygamous and is married to four wives, Kate, Omale, Helen and Randa. He was also married to Priye, a Bayelsa woman whom he was embroiled with in a high-profile divorce in the year 2000.

He enjoys golf, tennis, and squash.

He has a country house with a helicopter and helipad