Nigerian govt tells Canada to retract court verdict labelling Tinubu, Obasanjo, Buhari, other APC, PDP members terrorists

The federal government, on Friday, warned Canadian authorities to retract a court verdict labelling Nigerian political parties and, by extension, their members as terrorists.

In a statement by the foreign affairs ministry’s spokesperson, Kimiebi Ebienfa, on Friday, the government condemned the Canadian court verdict labelling every member of the ruling All Progressives Congress and Peoples Democratic Party as terrorists, calling it “reckless and false.”

“The federal government of Nigeria express deep concerns over the recent ruling by a Canadian Federal court that erroneously designates certain political parties in Nigeria as ‘terrorist organisations,’” the statement reads.

It added, “This baseless classification is not only reckless but also constitutes an unacceptable interference in Nigeria’s internal affairs and democratic processes.”

Urging Canadian authorities to retract the verdict labelling Nigerian political parties as terrorist organisations, the Nigerian government said the ruling, by extension, tags members of the parties — including President Bola Tinubu, former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo, Goodluck Jonathan, Muhammadu Buhari, and other politicians — as terrorists.

Since Nigeria’s return to democracy in 1999, the country has had five democratically elected presidents: Olusegun Obasanjo, the late Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, Goodluck Jonathan, the late Muhammadu Buhari, and the incumbent, Bola Tinubu.

“The Court made a sweeping accusation against the entire membership of a political party that has produced three democratically elected presidents, instead of focusing on individuals found wanting. The larger ramification of the decision is that every member of the mentioned political parties is a potential terrorist, and that is completely false and unacceptable,” the statement said.

It added, “The Federal Government of Nigeria, therefore, calls on the Canadian authorities to immediately retract this erroneous designation and refrain from actions that could be misconstrued as endorsing politically motivated narratives against Nigeria. Diplomatic channels remain open for constructive dialogue, and we urge the Government of Canada to engage with the relevant Nigerian institutions to rectify this error.”

According to the statement, Nigeria is a sovereign nation with a robust legal and constitutional framework governing political activities. Our political parties operate within the ambit of the law and are integral to the country’s vibrant democracy. To associate legitimate political entities with terrorism without credible evidence is a grave misrepresentation that undermines Nigeria’s democratic institutions and could incite unnecessary tension.

Citing court documents on Thursday, Peoples Gazette reported that the Canadian Federal Court upheld a landmark immigration tribunal ruling that declared Nigeria’s major political parties — the All Progressives Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party — terrorist organisations, while refusing asylum to a former member, Douglas Egharevba, over his decade-long affiliation with both parties.

In the judgement delivered on June 17, 2025, Justice Phuong Ngo dismissed Mr Egharevba’s application for judicial review after Canada’s Immigration Appeal Division found him inadmissible under security provisions of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.