The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has condemned the decision of a Canadian court declaring Nigeria’s two major political parties, the PDP and the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, as terrorist organisations.
The party described the claim as ‘misinformed, biased, and lacking evidence,’ urging that it be dismissed outright.
Also, former Chief Corporate Communications Officer of NNPC Ltd, Mr Olufemi Soneye decried the dangerous precedent the court verdict sets.
He said It was a political earthquake with consequences that could reverberate far beyond Canada’s borders, warning that “if democratic nations don’t push back on this kind of overreach, they may one day find their own politics on trial in a foreign court.”
The Federal Court of Canada upheld a ruling that classified Nigeria’s APC and PDP, as terrorist organisations, while denying asylum to a former member, Douglas Egharevba, over his decade-long affiliation with both parties.
Canadian court judgment
In a judgment delivered on June 17, 2025, Justice Phuong Ngo dismissed Egharevba’s application for judicial review after the Immigration Appeal Division, IAD, found him inadmissible under Canada’s Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, IRPA.
According to the Peoples Gazette, the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness had argued that the APC and PDP were implicated in political violence, subversion of democracy and electoral bloodshed in Nigeria.
Court records showed that Egharevba was a PDP member from 1999 to 2007 before joining the APC, where he remained until 2017. He moved to Canada in September 2017 and disclosed his political history.
Canadian immigration authorities flagged his affiliations, citing intelligence reports linking both parties to electoral violence and politically motivated killings.
The IAD based its decision largely on the PDP’s conduct during the 2003 state elections and 2004 local government polls, when the party allegedly engaged in ballot stuffing, voter intimidation and killing of opposition supporters.
The tribunal found that the party leadership benefited from the violence and took no action to stop it, meeting Canada’s legal definition of subversion under paragraph 34(1)(b.1) of the IRPA.
Justice Ngo affirmed that mere membership in an organisation linked to terrorism or democratic subversion is enough to trigger inadmissibility under paragraph 34(1)(f) of the IRPA, even without proof of personal involvement.
Verdict baseless, unjustified – PDP
PDP Deputy National Youth Leader, Timothy Osadolor, speaking exclusively to Vanguard in Abuja, said the report was unfounded and unjustified. He stressed that Nigeria and Canada are both democracies, and such allegations should be handled with caution and precision.
“Nigeria and Canada are both democracies. And I’m sure those who make such statements enjoy their right to freedom of speech. But again, when having freedom of speech, one should be circumspect about unguarded and unnecessary statements,” Osadolor said.
He added that there was no evidence to support the claim that either the PDP or APC could be classified as terrorist organisations.
“There’s nothing to show, there’s nothing on text to show that even the malfunctioning APC is a terrorist organisation or the PDP, which is a credible institution,” he added.
Osadolor acknowledged that while there may be individuals within the APC-led government with questionable ties, it was wrong to generalise and label entire political parties as terrorist groups.
“If they wanted to say that some individuals in the government, particularly the APC government, have traces to terrorism, like we all are aware where the last Boko Haram leader was caught in one of the prominent members of this government’s apartment house, they will have a case. And I would say, yes, those individuals have ties to terrorists and terrorist organisations. But to say an entire political party is a terrorist organisation is wrong,” he said, and urged Canadian authorities to focus on specific allegations against individuals rather than making sweeping accusations.”
Canada’s dangerously redefining Nigeria’s democracy – Soneye
In a statement, Soneye said the implications of the Canadian federal court’s declaration of APC and PDP as terrorist organizations under Canadian law, “are deeply troubling. Legally, the ruling sets a precedent that political affiliation, no matter how commonplace or mainstream, can be equated with terrorism. Diplomatically, it risks souring Canada-Nigeria relations by painting the country’s core democratic institutions with the same brush as extremist groups.”
He continued: “For Nigerians abroad, especially those who have ever held a party membership card, it signals heightened scrutiny, denied visas, and rejected asylum claims not only in Canada but potentially in other Western democracies that may follow suit.
“Even more alarming is what this means for democracy. Labeling established political parties as terrorist organizations undermines their legitimacy at home and abroad. It blurs the vital line between dissent and danger, between governance and extremism. Once such a label is applied, it can be wielded, domestically or internationally as a tool to silence opposition, suppress political participation, and erode civil liberties.
“Terrorism is a grave charge. To weaponize it against political organizations that have governed a democracy for decades is to dilute the meaning of the term and cheapen the fight against genuine extremists. It also blurs the essential boundary between political disagreement and criminal threat, a boundary that safeguards democratic life.
“Canada has long been a champion of democratic values abroad. This ruling contradicts that legacy. It must be revisited, challenged, and corrected, not just for Nigeria’s sake, but for the integrity of democratic politics everywhere. If this precedent stands, no political party, in any country, is safe from being redefined into illegitimacy by a foreign court.
“One immediate consequence of the Canadian ruling is that law-abiding Nigerian youths, both at home and across the diaspora could be branded “terrorist” solely for past or present affiliation with the APC or PDP. I know for a fact that the immigration laws of the US and Canada allow inadmissibility based on membership in a group deemed terrorist, this creates a real risk of collateral stigma for young people whose involvement was purely civic. The prospect of visa denials, asylum rejections, or routine travel scrutiny will chill legitimate political participation among youths who are the lifeblood of party renewal. Far from strengthening democracy, such deterrence erodes pluralism by pushing emerging voices out of mainstream politics.
“The world should take note: when courts begin deciding which foreign political parties are “terrorists,” the erosion of democracy is no longer theoretical, it has begun. This is not merely Canada’s internal immigration matter. It’s a global warning. If the definition of terrorism can be stretched to encompass mainstream political organizations in one of Africa’s largest democracies, then no political movement anywhere is safe from being redefined into illegitimacy.
“Canada’s decision is not just about Douglas Egharevba, it’s about the dangerous precedent it sets. And if democratic nations don’t push back on this kind of overreach, they may one day find their own politics on trial in a foreign court.”
Culled from Vanguard News Nigeria
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