Challenge court on terrorist organisations tag, Falana tells APC, PDP

Human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Femi Falana, has urged the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to demonstrate through legal action that they are not terrorist organisations, following a damning judgment by a Canadian Federal Court.

The court, presided over by Justice Phuong Ngo, had dismissed the asylum application of a Nigerian, Douglas Egharevba, ruling that Nigeria’s two leading political parties “use violence, coercion and subversion of democratic institutions in their bid to acquire political power.” In the judgment, both APC and PDP were described as “terrorist organisations” under Canadian law.

Falana, in a statement on Monday, said the verdict carried serious consequences for Nigeria’s democracy and international image. He noted that under Nigeria’s Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act 2022, acts of intimidation, violence, or coercion for political purposes qualify as terrorism — conduct he argued is often seen 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 electoral cycles in Nigeria have repeatedly been marked by killings, voter suppression, and political violence, usually without accountability.

The SAN faulted the dismissive reactions of both parties, stressing that their verbal attacks on the Canadian judge failed to address the substance of the ruling. “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 further cautioned that the ruling could have wide-ranging implications for members of both parties abroad. “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 warned.

He urged the Federal Government to move beyond diplomatic protests by engaging immigration lawyers to mitigate the ruling’s impact. “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 stated.

The lawyer also called for strict enforcement of Nigeria’s Electoral Act and the prosecution of electoral offenders, insisting that only credible elections can safeguard the country’s democracy and restore its global standing.

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