Human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Femi Falana, has urged the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to take concrete steps to prove they are not terrorist organisations, following a controversial judgment by a Canadian Federal Court.
The court, presided over by Justice Phuong Ngo, dismissed the asylum appeal of a Nigerian, Douglas Egharevba, and described Nigeria’s two leading political parties as “terrorist organisations” for allegedly deploying violence, coercion, and subversion of democratic institutions in their quest for power.
In a statement on Monday, Falana stressed that the ruling carries serious implications under Nigeria’s Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act 2022, which defines terrorism as the use of violence, intimidation, or coercion for political or ideological purposes methods, he said, long associated with Nigeria’s electoral process.
“It is common knowledge that APC and PDP rig elections and announce fake results with the assistance of armed thugs, police, and military personnel,” Falana said. “Electoral violence, killings, and attacks on voters have repeatedly occurred without perpetrators being held accountable.”
He criticised both parties for their dismissive reactions to the judgment. While the APC branded the Canadian judge “ignorant” and the PDP described the decision as “mischievous,” Falana argued that such responses sidestep the substance of the allegations.
“Instead of abusing the Canadian judge, the APC and PDP should urgently adopt legal measures to prove that they are not terrorist organisations,” he declared.
The rights activist also warned that the ruling could have far-reaching effects on Nigerians abroad, including visa denials and deportations, particularly if other countries such as the United States, United Kingdom, and France take cognisance of the Canadian court’s stance.
“The federal government should hire immigration lawyers to remove the stigma of infamy contained in the judgment. The collateral damage will certainly affect other citizens since the government of their homeland has been sponsored by two terrorist political parties,” he cautioned.
Falana further called on security agencies and the judiciary to ensure that political parties operate strictly within constitutional and legal frameworks, especially during elections.
