He said this to members of the party when he visited Otukpo, Benue State as he urged delegates of the party to vote for him in the upcoming presidential primaries.
According to a statement by his media assistant, Paul Mumeh, Mr Mark said he has the interest of unity, stability and prosperity of the nation and that the peace and unity of Nigeria supersedes any other consideration.
While stating that Nigeria has gone through avoidable turbulent times in the last few years, he said only a man with the requisite knowledge, experience and passion for the country like him, can salvage the situation.
“I am the bridge Nigeria needs now. I will be the bridge between the North and South and between the old and young. I will be with you and serve the nation diligently. I will be there for you. I will not let you down. I will be the last man standing.
“The situation in the country more than ever before, demands ready hands, stable character and commitment to the ideals of nation hood. I am committed to the sanctity of our unity. We must restore the trust and confidence in our people. We all have a stake in Nigeria. We have no other place to call ours,” he said.
While reminding delegates to vote wisely at the convention, he stressed that his record of service in various parts of Nigeria over the years put him in a better stead to serve the nation creditably.
The lawmaker added that he possesses the requisite executive and legislative experiences to lead Nigeria to prosperity and restore the trust and respect of the international community.
He expressed confidence that the governor Ifeanyi Okowa-led National Convention Planning Committee would do a good job.
Over the past few weeks, Mr Mark has visited past Nigerian leaders to seek their support for his presidential ambition. Some of those he visited are former president, Goodluck Jonathan, Nigeria’s former Head of State, Abdulsalam Abubakar and former military president, Ibrahim Babangida.
Mr Mark, who represents Benue South at the senate, recently declared his ambition to run for president in 2019. He has also purchased his presidential nomination form from the PDP secretariat.
The lawmaker, the longest serving senate president in Nigeria’s history, joins a list of over a dozen aspirants who declare their intention to run for president under the PDP platform.
He specifically promised to tackle poverty, unemployment and neglect which he said have forced some Nigerian youth to undertake the very risky route of going through the Sahara Desert and the Mediterranean Sea in their quest for greener pastures in Europe.
The party’s presidential primaries and national convention has been scheduled for October 6 and 7 in Port Harcourt, River State amidst controversies.
There are at least 12 aspirants vying for the PDP ticket including ex-vice president Atiku Abubakar, Senate President Bukola Saraki and Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto.
The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, earlier assured party members that its national convention to elect the party’s presidential candidate for the 2019 election will be transparent and successful.
He said the party has put in place strategies to carry all the aspirants along in the processes of the convention.
