Nigeria’s Two Major Political Parties Reject Canadian Court Ruling

By Okechukwu onyinyechi

In a recent development, Nigeria’s two dominant political parties, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC), have vehemently rejected a Canadian court ruling that labels them as terrorist organizations. This ruling was made by Justice Phuong Ngo of the Federal Court of Canada on June 17, 2025.

The court’s decision was based on the case of Douglas Egharevba, a Nigerian national who was denied asylum in Canada due to his decade-long affiliation with both parties. According to court records, Egharevba was a member of the PDP from 1999 to 2007 and later joined the APC until 2017, when he relocated to Canada.

The Canadian court filings alleged that both parties were implicated in political violence, democratic subversion, and electoral bloodshed. Specifically, the court cited incidents such as ballot stuffing, voter intimidation, and the killing of opposition supporters during the 2003 state elections and 2004 local government polls.

However, the PDP has described the classification as “misinformed, biased, and lacking evidence,” calling for it to be dismissed outright. Timothy Osadolor, the PDP Deputy National Youth Leader, stated that both Nigeria and Canada are democracies, and individuals should be cautious when making statements that could be perceived as unguarded and unnecessary.

The APC has also rejected the ruling, although their official statement is yet to be released. The controversy surrounding this ruling has sparked heated debates about the nature of politics in Nigeria and the implications of such a classification on the country’s democratic institutions.

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