'PDP crisis should be resolved outside the courts,' Ex-President says

The party lost relevance in Nigeria's political sphere after its shocking loss in the 2015 general elections, followed by the leadership crisis that broke it into two factions - the Ali Modu Sheriff and Ahmed Makarfi factions.

Frantic reconciliation efforts, which has been ongoing for months, has failed to reunite the aggrieved members of the party.

Occasioned by the crisis at the national level, a good number of PDP members across the country have defected to the ruling party, All Progressives Congress (APC) to avoid sinking with the PDP ship.

Speaking at his country home in Otuoke, Bayelsa state, when he received the report of Governor Seriake Dickson-led PDP reconciliation committee, Jonathan said he believes that the crisis in the party should be resolved outside the courts.

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He commended the efforts of the committee to ensure the two factions embrace negotiations.

He said: "I have always believed that political differences should be resolved outside the courts, but unfortunately we are already involved with it and gone up to the Supreme Court, but we are hopeful of a political solution.

"Party politics is supposed to be a family affair and ought to be resolved amicably without resorting to the courts."

On Friday, March 24, Dickson held a high-level meeting with one of the founding fathers of the party, Mallam Adamu Ciroma.

Following the meeting, a peace deal was signed by the warring factions of the party on Saturday.