ABUJA, Nigeria — The federal government has rejected a Canadian federal court’s designation of Nigeria’s two major political parties — the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) — as “terrorist organisations,” describing the ruling as erroneous and unacceptable.
In a statement on Friday, August 15, 2025, the ministry of foreign affairs said the decision amounted to a “sweeping accusation” against the entire membership of political parties that have produced democratically elected presidents, rather than targeting individuals proven to have committed offences.
The designation emerged from a judicial review case involving Douglas Egharevba, a Nigerian who arrived in Canada in September 2017 seeking refugee status.
His claim was denied in 2019 after an immigration officer cited his affiliation with the PDP as grounds for inadmissibility, alleging the party had engaged in acts of subversion and terrorism.
A Canadian judge upheld that decision in June.
Kimiebi Ebienfa, spokesperson for the ministry, condemned the judgement as “baseless and reckless,” warning that it “constitutes an unacceptable interference in Nigeria’s internal affairs and democratic processes.”
“The larger ramification of the decision is that every member of the mentioned political parties is a potential terrorist, and that is completely false and unacceptable,” the statement read.
“Our political parties operate within the ambit of the law and are integral to the country’s vibrant democracy. To associate legitimate political entities with terrorism without credible evidence is a grave misrepresentation that undermines Nigeria’s democratic institutions and could incite unnecessary tension.”
The government urged Canadian authorities to retract the designation immediately and avoid actions that could be perceived as endorsing politically motivated narratives.
It also advised Nigerian citizens abroad against making unfounded allegations against the state in pursuit of asylum or other benefits.
