A Photo File : Femi Falana

Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, SAN, has said the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) must urgently take legal steps to prove they are not terrorist organisations, following a recent Canadian court ruling describing them as such.

In a statement on Monday, Falana argued that instead of attacking the Canadian court, the political parties should focus on clearing their names through legal means.

The Senior Advocate of Nigeria linked the ruling to Nigeria’s history of electoral violence, rigging, and political impunity, which he said lends weight to the Canadian court’s decision.

He cited past remarks by political leaders, including former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s “do-or-die” description of the 2003 elections and President Bola Tinubu’s 2023 call to supporters to “fight for power, grab it, snatch it, and run with it.” According to him, such rhetoric, coupled with widespread violence during polls, has reinforced the perception that Nigeria’s ruling parties operate through brute force.

Falana also criticised what he described as the selective application of the Terrorism (Prevention) Act. He noted that while unarmed protesters from the #EndHardship demonstrations still face terrorism charges, politicians who loot public funds—leading to the deaths of poor citizens—are never prosecuted.

Warning of possible international consequences, the human rights lawyer said asylum applications by Nigerians linked to APC or PDP risk being denied, while members may face deportation or visa revocations in countries such as the United States, United Kingdom, and France.

He urged the federal government to engage immigration lawyers to appeal the ruling and protect Nigerians from “the stigma of infamy” contained in the judgment.

Meanwhile, the Federal Government has called on Canadian authorities to immediately retract what it described as the “erroneous” designation of some Nigerian political parties as terrorist organisations.