Human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Femi Falana, has cautioned that the recent decision of a Canadian court branding Nigeria’s two major political parties, the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), as “terrorist organisations” could have far-reaching consequences for the country’s image abroad and for party members.
Speaking in a statement titled “Beyond Judicial Recognition of APC and PDP as Terrorist Societies”, Falana said the ruling should not be dismissed with insults or diplomatic statements.
Instead, he urged Nigerian leaders to confront the culture of violence, electoral malpractice, and impunity that has long undermined the nation’s democratic process.
Falana explained that Nigeria’s Terrorism (Prevention) Act 2022 defines terrorism to not just be armed attacks but also acts aimed at intimidating the public, coercing government, or undermining critical institutions.
He noted that while peaceful protests are protected under the law, authorities target unarmed protesters, such as those involved in the #EndHardship protests, while shielding political actors whose conduct fuels violence and deaths during elections.
He accused both APC and PDP of repeatedly deploying thugs, aided by security forces, to manipulate elections, with victims of the violence receiving little to no justice.
“The riggers boldly tell opponents to go to court, and judges then validate stolen mandates,” Falana said.
The Canadian Federal court had on Thursday, dismissed an asylum appeal filed by Nigerian Douglas Egharevba.
In the ruling, Justice Phuong Ngo concluded that the APC and PDP had engaged in acts amounting to terrorism and the subversion of democratic institutions.
While the APC condemned the ruling as “ignorant” and “racist” and the PDP dismissed it as “mischievous,” Falana maintained that such reactions avoid the central issues.
Instead of trading insults, he advised both parties to adopt legal strategies to prove they are not terrorist organisations.
Falana recalled inflammatory statements by past and current party leaders: former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s description of the 2003 polls as a “do-or-die affair,” Muhammadu Buhari’s infamous “dog and baboon” remark ahead of the 2015 elections, and President Bola Tinubu’s 2023 declaration urging his supporters to “fight for power, grab it, snatch it, and run with it.”
He noted that the utterances, combined with recurring electoral violence, support the Canadian court’s findings.
He also pointed to fresh reports from recent by-elections, where widespread vote-buying, ballot snatching, and the arrest of nearly 300 thugs in Kano were recorded.
Falana warned that unless urgent reforms are implemented, the Canadian ruling may have devastating effects beyond Canada, onto the US, UK and other Western countries.
According to Falana, Members of APC or PDP seeking asylum abroad could face automatic rejection.
“If registered abroad, members of both parties risk deportation, visa denials, and international stigma,” he warned.
The senior lawyer therefore urged the Federal Government to immediately engage immigration lawyers to appeal the judgment in order to “remove the stain of infamy.”
He further called on the judiciary and security agencies to hold politicians accountable under the Constitution and the Electoral Act, insisting that judges must sanction offenders regardless of their political status.
“The collateral damage of this judgment will not just affect APC and PDP members. It also taints ordinary Nigerians, as the world now perceives our country as being run by two terrorist organisations,” Falana concluded.
