The Federal Government has issued a stern rebuke to Canada after a Federal Court ruling in Ottawa categorised Nigeria’s major political parties—the APC and PDP—as terrorist organisations.
According to details, the ruling arose from the asylum case of Douglas Egharevba, a Nigerian politician who argued for refugee protection. Justice Phuong Ngo dismissed his plea, ruling that his affiliations with the two parties tied him to political violence.
This prompted outrage from Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Spokesperson Kimiebi Ebienfa denounced the ruling as “reckless, baseless, and a gross interference in Nigeria’s democratic institutions.” He warned that such sweeping labels endangered Nigeria’s global image.
The APC, through Felix Morka, rejected claims that the Canadian court called it a terrorist body, insisting that reports were misleading. “For the avoidance of doubt, we make bold to state that the court never made any determination on the question of terrorism,” he clarified.
Contrarily, opposition parties like the ADC and CUPP welcomed the judgment, citing persistent cases of violence in Nigerian elections. ADC’s Bolaji Abdullahi noted, “Perhaps under their law, this alone qualifies as acts of terrorism.” CUPP’s Peter Ameh added that Nigeria’s elections resemble warfare, with state machinery often deployed to suppress opponents.
Nigeria has called on Canada to reverse what it considers a dangerous precedent, affirming that all political activities within the country are guided by law and constitutional processes.