There was pandemonium on Thursday as thugs beat up protesters who stormed the premises of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), demanding the resignation of its national chairman, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje.

The protesters, who were marching from the Valential Hotel area of Wuse 2, Abuja, towards the APC national secretariat on Blantyre Street, were attacked by thugs wielding sticks.

The thugs also seized banners and placards from the protesters and beat up some of them in the process.

The protesters who ran for their lives later converged on an open location in Wuse 2, where their leader, Hamisu Suleiman Sardauna, called on critical stakeholders in the party to oust Ganduje and ensure the position returned to the North Central in line with the zoning arrangement of 2022.

Sardauna said, "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, goverors of the party, and other critical stakeholders to champion this cause in line with the provisions of APC constitution."

Similarly, chairman of the APC Stakeholders' Forum in Nasarawa State, Sani Ibrahim Jigas, said, "Adamu's replacement ought to have come from the North Central. We are therefore calling on our stakeholders to ensure justice is done."

He added, "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."

Our correspondent reports that while the security operatives manning the entrance gate to the APC secretariat were just watching the drama, the protesters left with just three banners during the attack.

One of the banners has the inscription "Dr. Ganduje, kindly resign and face your prosecution in Kano."