PDP, APC Reject Canadian Court Ruling Tagging Parties ‘Terrorist Organisations’

Abuja — August 15, 2025. Nigeria’s two major parties, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC), have condemned a June 17 ruling by the Federal Court of Canada that treated both parties as “terrorist organisations” for the purpose of immigration inadmissibility.

The judgment, delivered by Justice Phuong Ngo, upheld an earlier Immigration Appeal Division decision denying asylum to Nigerian national Douglas Egharevba based on his decade-long membership in first the PDP (1999–2007) and then the APC (2007–2017). Canadian filings referenced allegations that the parties benefited from or failed to curb political violence and democratic subversion, including incidents tied to the 2003 and 2004 elections. The court further affirmed that, under Canadian law, membership alone in an organisation linked to terrorism or democratic subversion can trigger inadmissibility, even without proof of personal involvement.

Reacting to the ruling, the PDP described the classification as “misinformed and unsupported,” arguing there is no credible basis for branding constitutionally recognised parties as terrorist entities. The party said any assessment of wrongdoing should be individualised, not applied wholesale to millions of members.

The APC similarly rejected the decision as baseless and beyond the court’s remit, stressing that a foreign tribunal cannot determine the legal status of Nigerian political parties. The party maintained it is a democratic organisation operating within Nigeria’s constitutional framework and called the judgment a narrow, immigration-specific finding being miscast as a blanket designation.

Prominent commentators warned the decision could invite broader consequences—heightened scrutiny of visa and asylum applications by Nigerians with political histories, diplomatic strain, and a chilling effect on legitimate political participation—if other jurisdictions adopt similar reasoning.

Both parties urged Canadian authorities to focus on clear, case-by-case evidence of individual wrongdoing rather than sweeping classifications that risk distorting Nigeria’s democratic landscape and undermining civil liberties.