The Federal Government has condemned the recent ruling by a Canadian Federal Court, which classified certain Nigerian political parties as terrorist organisations, calling the decision reckless, unfounded, and an unacceptable interference in the country’s internal affairs.
This came as the African Democratic Congress and Coalition of United Political Parties argued that the Canadian court ruling is being driven by reported cases of electoral malpractices and violence in the country.
The Canadian Federal Court, on June 17, 2025, delivered a ruling on an immigration case involving Douglas Egharevba, a former member of both the Peoples Democratic Party and the All Progressives Congress.
Egharevba, who arrived in Canada in 2017 seeking refugee status, had applied for a judicial review of an earlier decision by Canada’s Immigration Appeal Division.
According to Peoples Gazette, Justice Phuong Ngo dismissed his application, upholding the Appeal Division’s finding that Egharevba was inadmissible under the security provisions of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.
In the landmark decision, the court sustained an earlier immigration tribunal ruling that classified both the APC and PDP as terrorist organisations, and consequently refused Egharevba asylum over his decade-long affiliation with the two parties.
Justice Ngo stated that “the conduct of individuals who are members of the PDP, including high-ranking officials, and those who committed political violence and intimidation on their behalf, is too widespread and persistent over a period of time to dissociate the leadership of the party from their actions.”
However, in its strongly-worded reaction, the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs described the Canadian court ruling as not only “baseless” and “reckless”, but also “an unacceptable interference in Nigeria’s internal affairs and democratic processes”.
In a statement signed by the spokesperson for the Ministry, Kimiebi Ebienfa, the government noted that the judgment failed to distinguish between individuals who might have committed offences and the broader membership of legitimate political entities.
“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,” the statement noted.
FG emphasised that its political system was governed by a robust legal and constitutional framework and that all recognised political parties operated within the law.
The ministry called on Canadian authorities to immediately reverse the decision and avoid endorsing politically motivated narratives that misrepresented Nigeria’s political landscape.
“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,” said Ebienfa.
Reaffirming its stance against terrorism, FG highlighted its ongoing efforts to combat extremism and its commitment to global security cooperation.
It also urged the international community to disregard what it described as a misguided ruling.
Additionally, the government cautioned Nigerian citizens against misrepresenting the country to foreign governments in pursuit of asylum or immigration advantages.