Chaos ensued on Thursday when thugs violently attacked protesters at the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) national secretariat.
The protesters were demanding the resignation of APC’s national chairman, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje.
The protest, reportedly organised on Thursday by party members and activists, started around Valential Hotel in Wuse 2, Abuja, to the APC national secretariat at Blantyre Street.
But as the protesters approached the APC headquarters, thugs armed with sticks assaulted them, and seized their banners and placards while beating several participants.
The protesters fled and regrouped at an open location in Wuse 2 where their leader, Hamisu Suleiman Sardauna, addressed the group, urging key APC stakeholders to remove Ganduje and restore the chairmanship to the North Central region in accordance with a 2022 zoning arrangement.
Sardauna condemned the violence, saying, “We are peacemakers. We are members of this party, so nobody can deny us justice. We are here for a peaceful protest but some thugs came around and beat our members. This is shameful. We are clamouring for justice. APC stakeholders must return the office of national chairman to the North Central. We are calling on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, governors of the party, and other critical stakeholders to champion this cause in line with the provisions of APC constitution.”
On his part, Sani Ibrahim Jigas, chairman of the APC Stakeholders’ Forum in Nasarawa State, supported the call and emphasized the need for adherence to party protocols.
“Adamu’s replacement ought to have come from the North Central. We are therefore calling on our stakeholders to ensure justice is done. Some of our members are now in the hospital because they were beaten by thugs a few minutes ago. Shame to whoever sent them to attack our members,” he said.
NewsNGR gathered that security personnel stationed at the entrance to the APC secretariat did not intervene during the incident.
The protesters managed to leave with only three banners after the attack, one of which read, “Dr. Ganduje, kindly resign and face your prosecution in Kano.”