Nigeria rejects Canadian court’s ‘Terrorist’ label on APC, PDP, other political parties

The Federal Government of Nigeria has vehemently rejected a recent ruling by a Canadian Federal Court that classified certain Nigerian political parties as “terrorist organisations.” The government characterized the decision as reckless, unfounded, and a serious interference in Nigeria’s internal affairs.

In a statement issued by the spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kimiebi Ebienfa, on Friday, the government expressed alarm over the ruling, which arose during an immigration case involving Nigerian asylum seeker Douglas Egharevba, who had sought refuge in Canada since 2017. The court’s judgment linked several Nigerian political organizations to terrorism, a classification the Nigerian government called baseless.

“The ruling is not only a baseless classification but also constitutes an unacceptable interference in Nigeria’s internal affairs and democratic processes,” the statement declared. It criticized the court for failing to distinguish between individuals who may have committed crimes and the broad membership of legitimate political entities.

“The Court made a sweeping accusation against the entire membership of a political party that has produced three democratically elected presidents,” the statement continued, emphasizing that such a broad generalization is both false and misleading.

The Nigerian government underscored the importance of recognizing that its political system is founded on a strong legal and constitutional framework, where all recognized political parties operate legally. Officials cautioned that this ruling could lead to misinformation and escalate unnecessary tensions.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs urged Canadian authorities to promptly reverse the decision, stating that, “To associate legitimate political entities with terrorism without credible evidence is a grave misrepresentation that undermines Nigeria’s democratic institutions.”

Echoing its commitment to combating terrorism, the Nigerian government called on the international community to disregard what it termed a misguided ruling. Additionally, it advised Nigerian citizens against misrepresenting the country to foreign governments for asylum or immigration purposes.

Concluding the statement, Ebienfa emphasized, “Diplomatic channels remain open for constructive dialogue, and we urge the Government of Canada to engage with the relevant Nigerian institutions to rectify this error and reaffirm its confidence in Nigeria’s democratic governance and rule of law.”