Renowned human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Femi Falana, has urged Nigeria’s two main political parties, the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), to urgently seek legal redress to clear their names after a Canadian court reportedly classified them as terrorist organisations.
According to Channels TV, Falana issued a statement on Monday emphasizing that the parties should stop criticizing the Canadian court and instead pursue appropriate legal action to challenge the ruling.
“Rather than resorting to insulting the Canadian judge, the APC and PDP should urgently take legal steps to demonstrate that they are not terrorist groups,” he said.
Falana attributed the court’s decision to Nigeria’s long-standing political issues, such as electoral fraud, violence, and widespread impunity.
“It is well known that both parties have historically engaged in election rigging, falsification of results often aided by armed police and military personnel. Citizens who resist this are met with violence, and perpetrators are rarely held accountable,” Falana noted.
He cited previous statements by Nigerian political leaders that, he argued, support the perception of the parties as violent. These included former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s 2003 remark describing elections as a “do-or-die affair,” and President Bola Tinubu’s 2023 call to “fight for power, grab it, snatch it, and run with it.”
Falana asserted that such rhetoric, alongside repeated incidents of electoral violence, paints a picture of ruling parties that use force to achieve political goals.
He further criticized the Nigerian government’s selective enforcement of the Terrorism (Prevention) Act, pointing out that ordinary citizens, such as #EndHardship protesters, face terrorism charges while corrupt politicians escape prosecution—even when their actions result in public harm.
The senior advocate warned that the Canadian court’s ruling could have far-reaching international implications. Nigerians affiliated with the APC and PDP may face deportation or visa restrictions in countries like the United States, United Kingdom, and France if the ruling is upheld internationally.
“If not overturned, the judgment could be registered in other countries, potentially leading to visa bans or deportations for APC and PDP members,” he cautioned.
Falana called on the Nigerian government to engage immigration attorneys and act quickly to overturn the ruling and prevent broader damage to the country’s reputation.
“The stigma from the judgment could affect all Nigerians, given that their government is led by two political parties now designated as terrorist organisations abroad,” he warned.
In response, the Federal Government has appealed to Canadian authorities to withdraw what it described as the “erroneous” classification of the APC and PDP.
