He is the Secretary-General of African Solidarity for Democracy and Independence (SADI), a left-wing political party, and has three times run for President of Mali, in 2002, 2007 and 2013.

[8] At the end of a SADI national conference, on February 24, 2007 Mariko was designated as the party's candidate for the April 2007 presidential election.

[4] He campaigned on the platform of opposition to the current economic, social, education and healthcare policies, declaring his wish for a "democratic and popular state".

Throughout the campaign, Mariko declared that "elections will be neither transparent, nor sincere and even less credible", accusing the Citizen's Movement, which supported Touré, of attempting fraud.

[7][9] In a press conference on May 29, Mariko denounced the electoral commission and the Constitutional Court for their handling of the election, saying that the former should be dissolved.

[2] As of 2007–2008, Mariko is President of the Commission of Foreign Affairs, Malians Living Abroad, and African Integration in the National Assembly.