PDP, APC Reject Canadian Court Ruling Labeling Them Terrorist Organisations

Nigeria’s two leading political parties the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) have strongly criticised a Canadian court judgment classifying both parties as terrorist organisations.

The ruling, delivered on June 17, 2025, by Justice Phuong Ngo of the Federal Court of Canada, upheld an earlier Immigration Appeal Division (IAD) decision denying asylum to Nigerian national Douglas Egharevba over his past membership in the PDP (1999–2007) and APC (2007–2017).

Canadian court filings alleged that both parties had been linked to political violence, electoral malpractice, and democratic subversion, citing incidents such as the PDP’s alleged conduct in the 2003 state elections and 2004 local government polls, which reportedly involved ballot stuffing, voter intimidation, and killings of opposition supporters. The IAD concluded that party leadership benefitted from such acts and failed to prevent them, meeting Canada’s legal definition of subversion under its Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA). Justice Ngo further ruled that “mere membership” in such organisations could justify inadmissibility, even without evidence of direct involvement.

PDP Deputy National Youth Leader Timothy Osadolor dismissed the ruling as “misinformed, biased, and lacking evidence,” stressing that neither the PDP nor even the “malfunctioning APC” could be classified as a terrorist group. While he conceded that individuals in government might have questionable ties, he said labelling an entire party was unjustified.

Former NNPC spokesperson Olufemi Soneye warned that the decision could have far-reaching consequences, including heightened scrutiny, visa denials, and rejected asylum claims in other Western nations. He also cautioned that such labels could be misused to stifle political participation and erode civil liberties.

APC National Secretary Senator Ajibola Bashiru condemned the verdict as baseless, calling the judge “an ignoramus” and insisting the party does not seek “legitimacy from a foreign bench.” He argued that the Canadian court had no authority to determine the status of a Nigerian-recognised political party and accused the ruling of being “delivered from a jaundiced perspective” tied solely to an asylum claim.

Both parties have urged Canadian authorities to target individuals responsible for political violence rather than imposing sweeping classifications that, they warn, risk damaging Nigeria’s democratic image and straining diplomatic ties.