FG Breaks Silence On Alleged Terrorist Tag For APC, PDP In Canada

The Federal Government has rejected a Canadian federal court ruling that classified Nigeria’s two leading political parties — the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) — as “terrorist organisations.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

In a statement issued on Friday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the decision as “erroneous” and “a sweeping accusation” that unjustly maligns millions of party members.

The controversial designation emerged in a judgment on a judicial review involving Douglas Egharevba, a Nigerian who arrived in Canada in September 2017 seeking refugee status. His application was rejected in 2019 over alleged membership in the PDP, which an immigration officer claimed was linked to “acts of subversion against a democratic government” and terrorism.

Although Egharevba appealed the decision, a judge upheld the ruling in June.

Responding, ministry spokesperson Kimiebi Ebienfa warned that the wider implication of the judgment is that “every member of the mentioned political parties is a potential terrorist,” a claim he called “completely false and unacceptable.”

The Ministry described the ruling as an “unwarranted interference” in Nigeria’s internal affairs and democratic processes, insisting that political parties in the country operate within the law and are key pillars of its democracy.

“To associate legitimate political entities with terrorism without credible evidence,” the statement stressed, “is a grave misrepresentation that undermines Nigeria’s democratic institutions and could spark needless tensions.”

The Federal Government urged Canadian authorities to retract the designation immediately and cautioned Nigerians against making “baseless allegations” to secure asylum or special treatment abroad.