The national leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has been urged not to allow the face-off between the President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki, and the leader of the party, Senator Bola Tinubu degenerate.

A former Senate deputy minority leader, Alhaji Ishaq Adebayo Salman made the call during an interview with the Daily Times in Ilorin, on Wednesday.

Salman, who represented Kwara Central in the Senate between 1999-2003, said the APC leadership's intervention was necessary, so that the APC-led federal government could realise its noble objectives.

He suggested that Tinubu, Saraki and other leaders of the party should engage in a dialogue to resolve the impasse.

Speaking on the recent public confrontation between the two leaders, Salman said that the APC would be the worst hit if the political friction was allowed to fester.

Salman, who said that the ruling party should be careful with the way it handled the current political disagreement, added that Nigerians had high expectations from the Buhari administration.

Stressing the danger of factionalising the APC, as a result of the Saraki-Tinubu crisis, Salman noted that much development and progress would be achieved with unity among individuals and institutions.

He said that the APC had made some mistakes in the process of electing the Senate President, adding that the attempt to impose leadership of the Senate was against the rules of the Senate.

He also said that the alleged imposition of the Senate President by the executive, in 1999, and in subsequent years, caused frequent changes of Senate presidents, adding that leadership stability was later achieved in the Senate, when members were allowed to choose their leaders, without external interference.

He, therefore, advised the party and its chieftains to stop the political friction and move ahead with governance, stressing that the emergence of Saraki could be a divined intervention to save the APC from embarrassment.

He emphasised that Saraki's election as Senate President followed due process, noting that, "it was done after the President's proclamation letter was read and the Senators in attendance formed the required quorum.

"The PDP Senators, based on their, strength could have gone ahead to elect one of their members as Senate President, if Saraki had not signified interest. Therefore, Saraki had, by that singular action, saved APC of a monumental embarrassment," Salman stated.

He pointed out that senators do not usually discuss issues based on political party affiliations but that "political party affiliation was only for convenience in the Senate."

Salman urged the APC leadership and the people of Kwara State to give Saraki the necessary support to succeed in his new assignment.

He reminded Kwarans that the benefits that could come to the state, because of the influence of the Senate President, are many, ranging from infrastructure to employment opportunities.