The leadership factions of the Peoples Democratic Party have asked the party’s governors to avoid making statements that would jeopardise the efforts to reconcile the factions and forge a strong opposition in Nigeria.

Senator Ahmed Markarfi and Senator Ali Modu Sheriff’s factions made the request on Friday at a joint press conference in Nigeria’s capital city, Abuja.

Senator Sheriff addressed reporters on behalf of the factions.

The factions had few days ago said they were coming together to reconcile the issues that led to division and subsequent parallel leadership in the party.

The Secretary of the Makarfi-led caretaker committee, Senator Ben Obi and the Deputy Chairman of Senator Sheriff-led faction on Tuesday told reporters at a joint press conference in Abuja on Tuesday that all differences were being resolved.

The two group leaders have also agreed to set up a joint committee that would reconcile other aggrieved members of the party.

Division became obvious in the party that lost power to the All Progressives Congress in the 2015 general election when a national convention held in Port Harcourt ended controversially, with the chairman of the party, Senator Sheriff removed.

After his removal at that convention, top leaders of the party set up a caretaker committee headed by Senator Makarfi.

However, Senator Sheriff continued to parade himself as the chairman of the party, saying the decision to remove him contravened a court order that had made the convention illegal.

The party has continued in division, with both men claiming the leadership position.

The situation deepened when the party produced two governorship candidates in two states ahead of elections that will hold later this year.

There have been conflicting court judgements affirming both Senator Sheriff and Senator Makarfi as leaders of the party.

The leadership of the judiciary in Nigeria has said that it would investigate the cases and punish judges that had delivered the judgements, if they were found guilty.