A peaceful protest by members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) from the North Central zone demanding the resignation of National Chairman Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje descended into violence on Thursday.
The demonstrators, who stormed the party’s national secretariat in Abuja, accused Ganduje of usurping the position allocated to the North Central and called for its return. This comes after a tumultuous period for Ganduje, who previously fended off attempts to remove him from office.
Carrying banners and chanting slogans, the protesters urged President Bola Tinubu and Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, to intervene and facilitate a “peaceful transition” of the chairmanship back to their region.
However, their demonstration was disrupted by unidentified individuals described as “thugs” who attacked the protesters with sticks, forcing them to scatter in all directions.
Speaking to reporters later, Hamisu Suleiman, the Plateau State Coordinator of the North Central APC Stakeholders, condemned the assault but vowed to continue their campaign for “justice.”
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He said, “We came here only to be attacked by thugs sponsored by the party. They did not only beat us, they stripped us of the banners and drove our people away from the APC secretariat. Today, we are here to protest the unfair treatment meted out to the people of the North Central. This is because the national chairmanship of the APC was mistakenly given to Dr Abdullahi Ganduje.
“We are, therefore, calling the attention of our dear President Bola Tinubu to correct the anomaly. We know that he will listen to us. The APC chairman position is supposed to be zoned according to the constitution of the party and the same constitution confers the position on us. Unfortunately, it was zoned to the North-West and we will not accept it.
“We are here for justice and justice must be served. I am calling the attention of all the stakeholders of the party to return our mandate. This is why we are protesting here today. It is our right and nobody can take it away from us.”
This incident highlights the continuing internal conflicts within the APC. Ganduje’s position remains precarious, with tensions simmering over the contested leadership role and potential repercussions for the party’s future.