Nigeria’s two major political parties, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC), have rejected a recent Canadian Federal Court decision that classified both organisations as terrorist entities.
The ruling, delivered on June 17, 2025, by Justice Phuong Ngo, upheld a previous decision by Canada’s Immigration Appeal Division (IAD) to deny asylum to Nigerian national Douglas Egharevba, citing his decade-long affiliation with both parties.
According to court documents, Egharevba was a member of the PDP from 1999 to 2007 before joining the APC, where he remained until his move to Canada in 2017. Upon applying for asylum, Egharevba disclosed his political background, which triggered further scrutiny by Canadian immigration authorities.
Court records show that Canada’s Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness argued that both the PDP and APC were complicit in acts of political violence, election-related bloodshed, and democratic subversion. Specific allegations against the PDP included its role in the 2003 state elections and the 2004 local government polls, which were reportedly marred by ballot stuffing, voter intimidation, and the killing of opposition supporters.
The IAD concluded that senior members of both parties benefited from the violence and failed to prevent it—meeting the legal threshold for democratic subversion under paragraph 34(1)(b.1) of Canada’s Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA).
In her ruling, Justice Ngo emphasized that under paragraph 34(1)(f) of the IRPA, “mere membership in an organization linked to terrorism or democratic subversion” is sufficient to render an individual inadmissible to Canada, regardless of personal involvement in violent acts.
Both Nigerian parties have since condemned the ruling, denying any involvement in terrorism or anti-democratic activity, and accusing Canadian authorities of making politically charged and unjustified conclusions.
