Aggrieved members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ogun State took to the streets on Monday to protest the alleged imposition of candidates and the deliberate withholding of party membership cards ahead of the upcoming internal elections.

The demonstrators, who gathered at the party’s state secretariat in Abeokuta, accused certain high-ranking officials of attempting to bypass democratic processes to favor handpicked loyalists.

The protesters, carrying placards with various inscriptions, claimed that thousands of genuine party members were being disenfranchised by the refusal of local party leadership to release their permanent membership cards.

They argued that this “calculated move” was designed to prevent them from participating in the direct primary process, thereby clearing the path for “anointed” candidates to emerge unopposed.

Spokespersons for the group expressed frustration over what they described as a “breach of trust” by the state executive committee. They called on the National Chairman of the APC and the National Working Committee (NWC) to intervene immediately to prevent a total breakdown of order within the Ogun State chapter.

According to the protesters, the current path of exclusionary politics could severely damage the party’s chances in the 2027 general elections.

In response to the unrest, some state party officials dismissed the allegations, describing the protest as the work of “hired detractors” who were not in good standing with the party. They maintained that the distribution of membership cards was a systematic process and that no genuine member would be left behind.

However, the intensity of the protest suggested a deep-seated rift that may require high-level mediation.

The tension in Ogun State mirrors similar internal frictions appearing in other state chapters as the APC moves closer to its primary season. Political analysts note that Ogun remains a critical battleground, and any perceived lack of transparency in the candidate selection process could lead to significant defections to opposition parties or prolonged litigation.

Security operatives were eventually deployed to the secretariat to maintain peace and prevent the demonstration from escalating. While the protesters eventually dispersed, they vowed to continue their agitation until the national leadership addresses their grievances and ensures that every card-carrying member is allowed to vote in a free and fair primary.