By Peter Omopo
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 demonstrate that they are not terrorist organisations, following a Canadian court ruling that classified the two dominant parties as such.
In a statement on Monday, Falana urged the APC and PDP to address the serious allegations contained in the judgment of Justice Phuong Ngo of the Federal Court of Canada, rather than dismissing it with insults.
Justice Ngo had, in the course of dismissing an asylum appeal filed by Nigerian national Douglas Egharevba, ruled that the APC and PDP “use violence, coercion and subversion of democratic institutions in their bid to acquire political power,” which, under Canadian law, amounts to terrorism.
Falana warned that the verdict carried wide-ranging implications. Citing Nigeria’s Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act 2022, he noted that terrorism is defined as the use of violence, intimidation, or coercion for political or ideological purposes — a trend he argued has become commonplace in Nigeria’s 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,” he said, adding that electoral violence, killings, and voter intimidation often go unpunished.
The SAN criticised the immediate reactions of the parties, pointing out that while the APC dismissed the Canadian judge as “ignorant” and the PDP labelled the ruling “mischievous,” neither party engaged with the substance of the allegations.
“Instead of abusing the Canadian judge, the APC and PDP should urgently adopt legal measures to prove that they are not terrorist organisations,” he stated.
Falana further urged the Federal Government to act swiftly, warning of possible international fallout. “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.
He insisted that diplomatic protests alone would not erase the judgment and called on Nigerian courts and security agencies to hold political parties accountable to constitutional and legal standards, especially during elections.
“The Federal Government should hire immigration lawyers to remove the stigma of infamy contained in the judgment. Otherwise, the collateral damage will affect other Nigerians since their government has been sponsored by two terrorist political parties,” he warned.
Falana concluded by demanding strict enforcement of the Electoral Act and prosecution of election offenders, arguing that restoring credibility to Nigeria’s democratic system is the only way to safeguard the country’s global reputation.
