Hundreds of aggrieved members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) stormed the national secretariat of the party in Abuja to register their anger over the choice of Mary Alile Idele as the national women leader.

Idele from Edo State replaced Dr Betta Edu who was recently sworn into office as the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs.

A section of the protesters also expressed misgivings over the choice of Hon Duro Meseko as the deputy national publicity secretary.

Among the high profile protesters was Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State, who felt shortchanged in the choice of Meseko as replacement of Mr Muritala Yakubu Ajaka who is the candidate of the opposition Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the Kogi governorship poll.

An ally of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and House of Representatives member, James Abiodun Faleke is believed to have sponsored Meseko to occupy the seat.

Sen Florence Ita Giwa who is believed to have led the protesters opposed to the choice of Alile Idele later met behind closed doors with the national chairman of the party, Dr Umar Ganduje on the matter.

Sources say that Giwa was of the view that the women leader seat ought to have been filled by Stella Odey-Ekpo from Cross Rivers state acceptable to stakeholders of the party in the state.

The situation forced the police authorities to deploy dozens of heavily armed police personnel to disperse the aggrieved protesters.

As of 1 pm, the security personnel had cordoned off the Blantyre road leading to the national secretariat of the party in a bid to keep the peace.

It is, however, unclear as at 2.22 pm whether the newly selected NWC members would be sworn in today as scheduled by the leadership of the party.

Other appointees unveiled by the Party’s National Secretary, Sen. Ajibola Basiru during a media briefing on the outcome of the NWC meeting held at the APC National Secretariat yesterday includes the Deputy National Chairman, North (North East Zone) Hon. Ali Bukar Dalori (Borno State).

The list includes National Vice Chairman, North West (North West Zone) Hon. Garba Datti Muhammad (Kaduna State), who replaced Dr Salihu Lukman.

The party also picked National Prof. Abdul Karim Abubakar Kana (Nasarawa State) Legal Adviser (North Central Zone) and the Zonal Organising Secretary (North Central Zone), Ikani Shuaibu Okolo (Kogi State).