The Federal Government has strongly rejected a recent ruling by a Canadian Federal Court designating certain Nigerian political parties as “terrorist organizations,” calling the decision baseless, reckless, and an unacceptable interference in the country’s internal affairs.
The ruling arose from the case of a Nigerian national, Mr. Douglas Egharevba, who arrived in Canada in September 2017 and applied for refugee status under the country’s Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. According to Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the court’s decision unfairly made sweeping accusations against the entire membership of a political party that has produced three democratically elected presidents, instead of focusing on individuals found culpable.
“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 Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement signed by spokesperson Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa.
The Ministry stressed that Nigeria is a sovereign nation with a robust legal and constitutional framework regulating political activities. It said all political parties operate within the law and are key to sustaining the country’s vibrant democracy.
The government of Nigeria has called on Canadian authorities to immediately retract the designation and avoid actions that could be construed as endorsing politically motivated narratives against Nigeria. The statement also urged Ottawa to engage with Nigerian institutions through diplomatic channels to resolve the matter.
Nigeria reaffirmed its commitment to fighting terrorism, noting significant progress in countering extremist groups within its borders. The government urged the international community to disregard the Canadian court ruling and maintain confidence in Nigeria’s democratic governance and rule of law.
It also cautioned Nigerian citizens against making unfounded allegations about the country in pursuit of asylum or favours from foreign governments.
