Human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, Femi Falana, has asked the All Progressives Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party to demonstrate that they are not terrorist organisations, following a ruling by a Canadian Federal Court which described both parties as entities engaging in conduct amounting to terrorism under Canadian law.
In a statement on Monday, Falana said the parties should address the grave issues raised in the judgment rather than dismissing the pronouncements of Justice Phuong Ngo, who had ruled that Nigeria’s two dominant parties “use violence, coercion and subversion of democratic institutions in their bid to acquire political power.”
The ruling came in the dismissal of the asylum appeal of a Nigerian, Douglas Egharevba, with the court declaring APC and PDP as “terrorist organisations.”
Falana warned that the verdict carried far-reaching implications, pointing out that under Nigeria’s Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act 2022, terrorism is defined as the use of violence, intimidation, or coercive tactics with political or ideological motives — actions he said are frequently observed during elections in the country.
“It is common knowledge that APC and PDP rig elections and announce fake results with the assistance of armed thugs, police and military personnel,” Falana said.
He added that electoral processes in Nigeria have often been marred by violence, killings, and voter intimidation without perpetrators facing justice.
He also criticised the parties’ immediate responses to the ruling, noting that while the APC described the Canadian judge as “ignorant” and the PDP labelled the decision “mischievous,” both failed to tackle the substantive issues.
“Instead of abusing the Canadian judge, the APC and PDP should urgently adopt legal measures to prove that they are not terrorist organisations,” he said.
Falana further urged the Federal Government to act swiftly by engaging immigration lawyers to mitigate the potential consequences of the ruling.
“If the ruling is registered in the United States, United Kingdom, France and elsewhere, members of the APC and PDP may have their visas revoked and may be deported,” he cautioned.
He stressed that mere diplomatic protests to Canadian authorities would not undo the judgment, insisting that Nigerian judges and security agencies must hold political parties accountable to constitutional and legal standards, particularly during elections.
“The federal government should hire immigration lawyers to take urgent action to remove the stigma of infamy contained in the judgment. The collateral damage will certainly affect other citizens since the government of their homeland has been sponsored by two terrorist political parties,” Falana warned.
The senior lawyer also called for strict enforcement of the Electoral Act and prosecution of election offenders, arguing that restoring credibility to Nigeria’s democratic processes is the only way to protect its global image.
WARNING: If You Are Not 18+, Don’t Click The Link Below 👇🫣
https://pasteldrowsyaboriginal.com/kx6iepv2qm?key=6c14bd1d68e1eba721851f19778f5efe
Please don’t forget to “Allow the notification” so you will be the first to get our gist when we publish it.
Drop your comment in the section below, and don’t forget to share the post.
Never Miss A Single News Or Gist, Kindly Join Us On WhatsApp Channel:
https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vad8g81Eawdsio6INn3B
Telegram Channel:
https://t.me/gistsmateNG
