Canadian Court Classifies APC and PDP as Terrorist Groups in Immigration Ruling
The Federal Court of Canada has upheld a ruling that, in the context of an immigration case, classified Nigeria’s two major political parties — the All-Progressives Congress (APC) and the People's Democratic Party (PDP) — as “terrorist organizations” under Canadian immigration law. The decision came during the asylum appeal of Douglas Egharevba, a Nigerian who had been a member of the PDP from 1999 to 2007 and the APC from 2007 to 2017 before moving to Canada in 2017.
The court agreed with earlier findings that both parties were linked to acts of political violence and the subversion of democracy, citing incidents of voter intimidation, ballot stuffing, and election-related killings. Under Canada’s Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA), such associations can render a person inadmissible to the country even without direct involvement in wrongdoing.
The ruling has sparked sharp reactions in Nigeria, with both parties strongly rejecting the classification. The PDP described the decision as misinformed and damaging to democratic values, while the APC insisted it is a legitimate democratic institution and dismissed the Canadian court’s jurisdiction over Nigerian politics.
Critics, including former NNPC communications chief Olufemi Soneye, warned that such interpretations could set a dangerous precedent where political affiliation becomes grounds for denying asylum, discouraging civic participation and undermining democracy globally. While the judgment carries significant weight in Canadian immigration cases, it does not amount to an official nationwide designation of the APC or PDP as terrorist entities under broader Canadian law.
