Renowned human rights lawyer Femi Falana (SAN) has called on Nigeria’s two major political parties, the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to urgently pursue legal avenues to clear their names following a Canadian court ruling that labeled them as terrorist organisations.
In a statement issued on Monday, Falana emphasized that the parties should respond with legal action rather than criticism of the court’s decision.
“Instead of abusing the Canadian judge, the APC and PDP should, as a matter of urgency, adopt legal measures to prove that they are not terrorist organisations,” he said.
Falana linked the ruling to Nigeria’s long history of electoral violence, rigging, and political impunity, suggesting that the Canadian court’s conclusion is not without basis.
“It is common knowledge that both APC and PDP rig elections and announce fake results with the assistance of armed police personnel and soldiers. Concerned citizens who kick against rigging are violently attacked and killed, while the perpetrators are never prosecuted,” he added.
He cited previous inflammatory remarks by political figures to underscore the culture of violence in Nigerian politics. Among them were former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s infamous declaration that the 2003 elections were a “do-or-die affair,” and President Bola Tinubu’s 2023 exhortation to his supporters to “fight for power, grab it, snatch it, and run with it.”
Falana argued that such rhetoric, combined with recurring incidents of electoral violence, reinforces the Canadian court’s conclusion that Nigeria’s dominant political parties employ intimidation and brute force.
He also condemned what he described as the selective enforcement of Nigeria’s Terrorism (Prevention) Act, pointing out the stark contrast in how peaceful protesters and corrupt politicians are treated.
“Unarmed citizens arrested during the #EndHardship protests still face terrorism charges, while politicians who embezzle public funds—leading to the deaths of poor citizens—are never tried for terrorism,” he said.
Falana warned that the implications of the Canadian ruling could extend far beyond reputational damage. He cautioned that Nigerians affiliated with the APC or PDP could face visa denials or deportation from countries like Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, and France if the judgment is not legally challenged and overturned.
“If the ruling is not set aside, it may be registered in the United States, UK, France, etc. The implication is that members of the APC and PDP may be deported or have their visas revoked,” he warned.
Calling for immediate action, Falana urged the Nigerian government to engage immigration and international legal experts to address the fallout from the ruling.
“The government should hire immigration lawyers to take urgent action to remove the stigma of infamy contained in the judgment of the Canadian court. The collateral damage will certainly affect other citizens, since the government of their homeland has been sponsored by two terrorist political parties,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Federal Government has issued a formal response, urging Canadian authorities to swiftly retract what it described as the “erroneous” designation of Nigerian political parties as terrorist organisations.
