Renowned 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 take urgent legal steps to prove that they are not terrorist organisations, following a controversial ruling by a Canadian Federal Court.
The Canadian judge, Justice Phuong Ngo, while ruling on the asylum appeal of a Nigerian, Douglas Egharevba, declared that Nigeria’s two main political parties — APC and PDP — fall within the ambit of “terrorist organisations” under Canadian law, citing their alleged involvement in violence, intimidation and subversion of democratic institutions in pursuit of political power.
In a statement issued on Monday, Falana stressed that the ruling cannot be dismissed lightly, warning that its implications could extend far beyond Canada if the judgment is registered in other Western countries.
“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 stated. “Violence, killings and attacks on voters have repeatedly marred electoral processes without perpetrators being brought to justice.”
The senior lawyer criticised the immediate reactions of the two parties — with the APC describing the judge as “ignorant” and the PDP calling the decision “mischievous.” According to him, such dismissive responses failed to address the substance of the issues raised.
“Instead of abusing the Canadian judge, the APC and PDP should urgently adopt legal measures to prove that they are not terrorist organisations,” Falana said.
He also warned that the fallout could be severe for ordinary Nigerians. “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 cautioned.
Falana advised the Federal Government to immediately engage immigration lawyers to intervene in the matter, arguing that diplomatic protests alone would not erase the judgment.
“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,” he added.
The development has sparked intense debate in Nigeria’s political and legal circles, with concerns that the controversial ruling could cast a shadow on Nigeria’s democracy and its citizens abroad.
