The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has strongly condemned a recent Canadian court decision declaring Nigeria’s two major political parties — the PDP and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) — as terrorist organisations.
The party described the ruling as misinformed, biased, and lacking in credible evidence, calling for its immediate dismissal.
The controversy stems from a June 17, 2025, judgment by Canada’s Federal Court, which upheld an earlier decision by the Immigration Appeal Division (IAD) under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA). The ruling classified both the PDP and APC as terrorist organisations and denied asylum to Douglas Egharevba, a Nigerian national who had been a member of both parties.
According to court documents, Egharevba was a PDP member between 1999 and 2007 before joining the APC, where he remained until 2017. He moved to Canada in September 2017 and disclosed his political background during the asylum process. The IAD based its conclusion largely on events during the PDP-led 2003 state elections and 2004 local government polls, citing alleged incidents of ballot stuffing, voter intimidation, and the killing of opposition supporters.
The Canadian Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness argued that both parties had been involved in political violence, subversion of democratic processes, and electoral bloodshed in Nigeria.
PDP Rejects Verdict as Baseless and Unjustified
PDP Deputy National Youth Leader Timothy Osadolor criticised the decision, stating that while both Nigeria and Canada are democratic nations, such claims should be made with caution.
He argued that if evidence exists linking certain individuals within the APC government to terrorist activities — including alleged connections between a former Boko Haram leader and a prominent government official — those individuals should be held accountable. However, he insisted that branding entire political parties as terrorist organisations was both inaccurate and unfair.
Osadolor urged Canadian authorities to focus on specific, verifiable allegations against individuals rather than making sweeping generalisations that could undermine democratic institutions.
Soneye Warns of Dangerous Precedent
Former Chief Corporate Communications Officer of NNPC Ltd, Olufemi Soneye, described the ruling as a “political earthquake” with potential consequences far beyond Canada’s borders.
He warned that Nigerians abroad who have held membership in either party may now face heightened scrutiny, visa denials, and rejected asylum applications — not only in Canada but also in other Western countries that might adopt similar stances.
Soneye stressed that labeling long-established political parties as terrorist organisations poses a grave threat to democracy, as it blurs the critical distinction between political opposition and violent extremism.
“Once such a label is applied,” he cautioned, “it can be used domestically or internationally as a tool to silence dissent, suppress political participation, and erode civil liberties.”
