Human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Femi Falana has asked the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to demonstrate that they are not terrorist organisations by legal action, following a devastating decision by a Canadian federal court.
The court, presided over by Justice Phuong Ngo, rejected Douglas Egharevba’s asylum claim, saying that Nigeria’s two largest political parties “use violence, coercion, and subversion of democratic institutions in their bid to acquire political power.”
According to the judgement, both the APC and the PDP are “terrorist organisations” under Canadian law.
Falana said in a statement on Monday that the ruling has major implications for Nigeria’s democracy and worldwide reputation. He stated that under Nigeria’s Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act 2022, actions of intimidation, violence, or coercion for political ends constitute terrorism, which he claims is common during Nigerian elections.
“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.
He went on to say that electoral cycles in Nigeria have been marred by killings, voter suppression, and political violence, most of which has gone unpunished.
The SAN criticised both sides’ dismissive comments, pointing out that their rhetorical attacks on the Canadian judge failed to address the content of the verdict. “Instead of abusing the Canadian judge, the APC and PDP should urgently adopt legal measures to prove that they are not terrorist organisations,” he tweeted.
Falana also noted that the verdict might have far-reaching consequences for members of both parties abroad.
“If the ruling is registered in the United States, United Kingdom, France and elsewhere, members of the APC and PDP may have their visas revoked and may be deported,” he warned.
He encouraged the federal government to go beyond diplomatic objections and hire immigration lawyers to reduce the ruling’s impact.
“The federal government should hire immigration lawyers to take urgent action to remove the stigma of infamy contained in the judgement. The collateral damage will certainly affect other citizens since the government of their homeland has been sponsored by two terrorist political parties,” Falana stated.
He also called for strict enforcement of Nigeria’s Electoral Act and the prosecution of electoral offenders, insisting that only credible elections can safeguard the country’s democracy and restore its global standing.
