Nigeria, June 28 -- Former Senate President and Chairman of the PDP Reconciliation Committee, Dr. Bukola Saraki, has emphasized the need to resolve the party's internal leadership crisis particularly the dispute over the position of national secretary before any National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting or national convention can be held.

Speaking in an interview on Arise Television on Friday night and Monitored By The News Chronicle, Saraki described the unresolved issue as a major challenge to the unity and effectiveness of the party.

He stressed that the NEC, which is responsible for making key decisions for the party, cannot function properly until the matter is settled.

"This issue has dragged on for too long," Saraki said. "We c...