Abdel Hafiz Ghoga, deputy head of Libya's ruling National Transitional Council (NTC), Sunday announced his resignation following protests in an eastern Libyan city calling for his quit.

In an interview with the pan-Arab TV channel Al-Jazeera via telephone, Ghoga said he has no intention to "influence the NTC" and chose to quit "for national interests."

Ghoga, who is also the spokesman for the NTC, did not specify the reason for his departure, only mentioning "recent events" in the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi.

Hundreds of people took to the streets Saturday in Benghazi in protest at Ghoga's inclusion in the council. They later stormed and looted NTC offices in the city, where the NTC had been based before moving to Tripoli. More people joined the protests Sunday.

Ghoga's resignation has not yet been confirmed by the NTC.