Femi Falana Challenges APC and PDP to Prove They Are Not Terrorist Organisations After Canadian Court Ruling

By Joseph Iyaji | Akahi News

Join Akahi News VIP WhatsApp Channel for Breaking News Alerts, Direct to Your Phone

Human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Femi Falana, has issued a bold challenge to Nigeria’s two major political parties — the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) — urging them to prove that they are not terrorist organisations.

A human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, speaking passionately at a conference, addressing political issues in Nigeria.

Take your QuickBooks, Sage 50 to the Cloud with McSea Cloud Hosting. Call 08024504321.

His call followed a controversial ruling by the Federal Court of Canada, which described both parties as entities that have engaged in acts amounting to terrorism under Canadian law.

The Controversial Canadian Judgment

The ruling, delivered by Justice Phuong Ngo, came during the asylum appeal of a Nigerian, Douglas Egharevba. In dismissing the appeal, the judge stated that the APC and PDP have, over time, demonstrated patterns of conduct consistent with terrorism. According to Justice Ngo, these parties allegedly employ violence, coercion, and the subversion of democratic institutions to seize and retain political power in Nigeria.

CRUSH OAU POST UTME, OAU PRE-DEGREE, OAU JUPEB At Akahi Tutors, Ile-Ife. Call 08038644328.

The pronouncement sparked immediate outrage in Nigeria. The APC dismissed the ruling as “ignorant,” while the PDP branded it “mischievous.” However, Falana criticised both reactions, noting that neither party addressed the substantive issues raised by the Canadian court.

Falana’s Strong Response

In a statement released on Monday, Falana warned that the implications of the judgment go beyond mere courtroom declarations. He reminded Nigerians that under the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, terrorism includes the use of violence, intimidation, or coercive tactics with political or ideological motives. By that definition, he argued, Nigeria’s elections have long been marred by acts that fall under the category of terrorism.

“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 recurring incidents of killings, voter suppression, ballot box snatching, and attacks on electoral officers during polls are evidence of systemic violence tied to Nigeria’s political culture.

International Fallout and Immigration Concerns

Falana further stressed that the ruling could have dire international consequences if not urgently addressed. He warned that once registered in jurisdictions such as the United States, United Kingdom, and France, members of the APC and PDP could face severe restrictions.

“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 said.

This, he argued, is not only a potential embarrassment for the country but could also result in collateral damage for ordinary Nigerians, especially those linked — directly or indirectly — to either political party.

Call to Action for the Nigerian Government

Falana urged the Federal Government to take proactive steps, not by protesting the ruling in diplomatic terms but by engaging immigration lawyers in Canada and other countries to intervene legally. According to him, diplomatic protests alone would be insufficient to overturn a judicial decision already documented in another sovereign country.

“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,” he warned.

A Call for Political Reform and Accountability

The Senior Advocate of Nigeria also pressed for stronger enforcement of the Electoral Act. He said the Nigerian government must ensure that electoral offenders — whether thugs, political leaders, or security operatives — are held accountable for their actions.

He argued that Nigeria’s democracy cannot continue to be undermined by violence, intimidation, and impunity. Instead, the judiciary and security agencies must rise to the challenge of compelling political actors to operate within the law.

Falana concluded that the Canadian ruling, while controversial, should serve as a wake-up call for Nigeria to confront its deep-seated electoral flaws and restore credibility to its democratic processes.

The debate over Justice Phuong Ngo’s ruling in Canada has ignited a storm of political and legal arguments in Nigeria. While the APC and PDP have dismissed the judgment as unfounded, Femi Falana insists that both parties must go beyond rhetoric and take legal steps to prove they are not terrorist organisations under international law.

With the potential of the ruling spilling into visa restrictions, deportations, and wider diplomatic ramifications, the coming weeks may determine whether Nigeria’s political establishment can rise to the challenge of reforming its image abroad and addressing the long-standing flaws that continue to define its electoral system.