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,” Falana

Prominent human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), has advised Nigeria’s two major political parties — the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) — to take urgent legal steps to clear their names following a recent ruling by a Canadian court which described them as terrorist organisations.

In a strongly worded statement on Monday, Falana cautioned that trading insults with the Canadian judiciary was not the solution. Instead, he urged both parties to initiate legal processes that would remove the “stigma of terrorism” from their identities.

“Don’t Abuse the Court, Take Action”

“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,” Falana said.

The Senior Advocate of Nigeria linked the court’s ruling to Nigeria’s troubled electoral history, marked by violence, rigging, and impunity. He recalled past episodes of political unrest and cited statements from national leaders that, in his view, painted Nigerian elections as battles of force rather than democracy.

Falana pointed to former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s infamous 2003 remark calling elections a “do-or-die affair”, as well as President Bola Tinubu’s 2023 rallying cry to supporters to “fight for power, grab it, snatch it, and run with it”.

Class Bias in Anti-Terrorism Law

Falana also criticised what he described as the selective application of Nigeria’s Terrorism (Prevention) Act.

He argued that while unarmed protesters arrested during movements like #EndHardship and #EndBadGovernance still face terrorism charges, politicians accused of looting public funds — which often results in avoidable deaths among citizens — are never prosecuted under the same law.

International Consequences Looming

The human rights lawyer warned that the Canadian judgment could have far-reaching effects.

“If the ruling is not set aside, it may be registered in the United States, the UK, France, etc. The implication is that members of the APC and PDP may be deported or have their visas revoked,” he cautioned.

According to him, Nigerians linked to the ruling parties could face rejected asylum applications or deportation, as foreign governments may uphold the Canadian court’s findings.

Government’s Response

Meanwhile, the Federal Government of Nigeria has dismissed the ruling, urging Canadian authorities to retract what it described as an “erroneous designation” of the country’s leading political parties. Officials insist the judgment does not reflect the realities of Nigeria’s democratic system.

✅ As the debate unfolds, pressure is mounting on the APC and PDP to take decisive steps in court to safeguard not only their reputations but also the international standing of millions of Nigerian citizens.

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