The Federal Government of Nigeria has strongly rejected a recent decision by a Canadian Federal Court that designated certain Nigerian political parties as “terrorist organizations,” describing the ruling as reckless, baseless, and an unacceptable intrusion into the nation’s internal affairs.
In a statement issued on Friday, Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa, spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said the controversial designation arose from a case involving Mr. Douglas Egharevba, a Nigerian who arrived in Canada in September 2017 and applied for inland refugee status under the country’s Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.
The ministry criticised the court for making what it called a “sweeping accusation” against the entire membership of a political party that has produced three democratically elected presidents, instead of focusing solely on individuals found guilty of wrongdoing.
“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 read.
Reaffirming Nigeria’s sovereignty and the legitimacy of its political system, the government stressed that all political parties in the country operate within the bounds of the law and are vital to its 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,” the ministry added.
The Federal Government has called on Canadian authorities to immediately retract the ruling and to avoid actions that could be construed as endorsing politically motivated narratives against Nigeria.
It further urged Ottawa to engage with relevant Nigerian institutions through diplomatic channels to correct what it described as a damaging error.
The statement also highlighted Nigeria’s ongoing commitment to combating terrorism, noting that significant strides have been made in dismantling extremist groups within its borders.
It urged the international community to disregard the court’s ruling and maintain confidence in Nigeria’s democratic governance and rule of law.
The government warned Nigerian citizens against making unfounded allegations about the country when seeking asylum or other favours abroad, saying such actions could harm the nation’s image.
