Nigeria urges Canada to retract terrorist tag on political parties

By Favour Ulebor, Abuja

The Federal Government of Nigeria has strongly rejected the designation of some Nigerian political parties as terrorist organizations by a Canadian Federal Court, describing the ruling as reckless and an unacceptable interference in the country’s internal affairs and democratic processes.

In a statement signed by the Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa, on Friday, the decision reportedly stemmed from a case involving a Nigerian national, Mr. Douglas Egharevba, who arrived in Canada in September 2017 and applied for inland refugee status under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act of Canada.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the court made a sweeping accusation against the entire membership of a political party that has produced three democratically elected presidents, instead of limiting its judgment to individuals found culpable.

The statement warned that the implications of such a ruling could lead to all members of the affected political parties being perceived as potential terrorists, an allegation the Nigerian government insists is completely false and unacceptable.

Reaffirming Nigeria’s sovereignty, the government stressed that its political parties operate within the law and remain a core part of the country’s vibrant democratic system.

The Ministry further urged Canadian authorities to withdraw the designation and avoid actions that could be seen as supporting politically motivated narratives against Nigeria.

It said diplomatic channels remain open for dialogue and encouraged Canada to work with Nigerian institutions to correct the alleged error.

Nigeria also reaffirmed its commitment to the global fight against terrorism and called on the international community to disregard the ruling, while warning Nigerians abroad against making false claims against their country in pursuit of asylum or favours from foreign governments.

The full statement in full; “The Federal Government of Nigeria express deep concerns over the recent ruling by a Canadian Federal court that erroneously designates certain political parties in Nigeria as ‘terrorist organizations.’

“The declaration was in pursuance of a case involving a Nigerian, Mr. Douglas Egharevba, who arrived in Canada in September 2017 and applied for inland refugee status under the immigration and Refugee Protection Act of Canada.

“This baseless classification is not only reckless but also constitutes an unacceptable interference in Nigeria’s internal affairs and democratic processes.

“The Court made a sweeping accusation against the entire membership of a political party that has produced three democratically elected presidents, instead of focusing on individuals found wanting.

“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.

“Nigeria is a sovereign nation with a robust legal and constitutional framework governing political activities. 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 Federal Government of Nigeria, therefore, calls on the Canadian authorities to immediately retract this erroneous designation and refrain from actions that could be misconstrued as endorsing politically motivated narratives against Nigeria.

“Diplomatic channels remain open for constructive dialogue, and we urge the Government of Canada to engage with the relevant Nigerian institutions to rectify this error.

“Nigeria remains committed to the global fight against terrorism and has made significant strides in countering extremist groups within its borders; therefore, called on the international community to disregard this misguided ruling and reaffirm its confidence in Nigeria’s democratic governance and rule of law.

“The government further urges Nigerian nationals to refrain from making unfounded allegations against Nigeria under the pretext of seeking asylum or favours from foreign entities.”

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