Human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, Femi Falana, has called on the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to prove they are not terrorist organisations following a Canadian Federal Court ruling.
Zig Diaries Political News
Date: Monday, 18 August 2025
Time: 15:25 WAT
Location: 📍 Abuja, Nigeria
The judgment described Nigeria’s two dominant parties as entities engaging in conduct amounting to terrorism under Canadian law, prompting Falana to urge urgent legal action and electoral reforms.
In a statement on Monday, Falana insisted that the APC and PDP address the
issues raised by Justice Phuong Ngo, who ruled that the parties “use violence,
coercion and subversion of democratic institutions in their bid to acquire
political power.” The ruling arose during the dismissal of Nigerian asylum
seeker Douglas Egharevba’s appeal, with the court declaring APC and PDP
“terrorist organisations.”
Falana
highlighted the implications of the verdict, noting that under Nigeria’s
Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act 2022, terrorism includes the use of
violence, intimidation, or coercion for political or ideological purposes —
practices he said are frequent 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
added that violence, killings, and voter intimidation have historically marred
the electoral process, with perpetrators rarely facing justice.
The senior
lawyer also criticised both parties’ immediate reactions: the APC dismissed the
judge as “ignorant,” while the PDP called the decision “mischievous.” Falana
said these responses failed to confront the substantive legal issues. “Instead
of abusing the Canadian judge, the APC and PDP should urgently adopt legal
measures to prove that they are not terrorist organisations,” he said.
Falana urged
the Federal Government to act swiftly, including engaging immigration lawyers
to mitigate potential consequences, warning that if the ruling is recognized in
the U.S., U.K., France, and other countries, party members risk visa
revocations and deportation.
He stressed
that diplomatic protests alone would not overturn the judgment and called on
Nigerian judges and security agencies to hold political parties accountable to
constitutional and legal standards. “The federal government should hire
immigration lawyers to take urgent action 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,” Falana warned.
Finally,
Falana urged strict enforcement of the Electoral Act and prosecution of
election offenders, saying restoring credibility to Nigeria’s democratic
processes is critical to protecting the nation’s global image.
Fact-Check & Background
The Canadian Federal Court ruling came during the asylum appeal of Nigerian citizen Douglas Egharevba.
Justice Phuong Ngo described Nigeria’s two dominant political parties as using coercion and violence to gain political power, effectively labeling them as terrorist organisations under Canadian law.
\Nigeria’s Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act 2022 defines terrorism broadly to include violence or coercion for political purposes.
Falana’s call follows prior criticisms of electoral malpractice and violence associated with APC and PDP, and concerns that international recognition of the ruling could affect travel and diplomatic relations.
🏷️Tags: Femi Falana, APC, PDP, Canadian court ruling, terrorism allegation, Nigeria politics, Electoral Act, Zig Diaries Politics
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#TerrorismAllegation
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