By: Nwakaji Peace Martins
Chaos erupted at the national headquarters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abuja when opposing factions clashed over the fate of the National Chairman, Abdullahi Ganduje.
The anti-Ganduje protesters, predominantly composed of APC stakeholders from the North Central geopolitical zone, were met by a group of alleged thugs organized to counter their demonstration.
The protesters had converged on the party’s headquarters to demand Ganduje’s resignation and to advocate for the return of the prestigious office previously held by Abdullahi Adamu to the North Central region.
This protest marked another attempt in a series of unsuccessful endeavors and legal battles aimed at ousting the national chairman, narrowly escaping dismissal each time.
Brandishing signs and banners bearing various messages, the demonstrators, while singing songs of solidarity, implored President Bola Tinubu to facilitate a peaceful transition of the party’s leadership back to their region.
However, the peaceful demonstration was abruptly disrupted by a group of suspected hoodlums who assaulted the aggrieved party members with sticks, causing them to scatter in different directions for safety.
Following the incident, Plateau State Coordinator of the North Central APC Stakeholders, Hamisu Suleiman, addressed the press a short distance away from the party’s secretariat, condemning the mistreatment they endured and asserting their commitment to pursuing justice.
“We were attacked by party-backed thugs when we came here. They not only physically assaulted us but also confiscated our banners and forced our members out of the APC headquarters. Today, we are protesting the unjust treatment of the North Central region. The position of the APC chairman was mistakenly assigned to Ganduje.
“We are urging President Tinubu to rectify this mistake. The party’s chairmanship is meant to be zoned according to the party’s constitution, which designates it to our region.
Unfortunately, it was allocated to the North West, a decision we refuse to accept.
“We demand justice, and justice will prevail. I call on all party stakeholders to honor our mandate. This protest is our right, and no one can strip it from us,” he declared.
Similarly, Sani Jigas, the self-identified Nasarawa State chairman of the North Central Forum, urged the governors of their region to exert pressure on the president during their upcoming stakeholders’ meeting.
“Our mandate is clear to all. The consensus at the national convention was that the APC chairmanship should be assigned to the North Central. We are steadfast in our pursuit of this goal.
“We are not intimidated by their hired hooligans. We will remain steadfast until justice is served. We also implore our governors, as we are aware of the upcoming meeting of North Central governors and stakeholders in Lafia next week,” he emphasized.
