A CANADIAN Federal Court has, in a reckless and baseless ruling, implied that Nigerian political parties are linked to terrorism. This is more than an insult; it is an assault on our dignity, sovereignty, and global standing. It is not about defending the All Progressives Congress (APC), the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), or some other political party or any faction. It is about defending Nigeria.
When a foreign court stigmatizes the political platforms that have produced presidents, governors, ministers, and lawmakers in the Fourth Republic, it is indirectly branding every Nigerian who has ever participated in elections as part of a terrorist structure. That is outrageous and unacceptable.
This is not the time for semantics or for endless argument about whether the APC, the PDP, or some other political party was mentioned. To dwell on that is to miss the point entirely. The urgent question before us is clear: how should Nigeria respond to Canada over this affront?
The case in question involved one Douglas Egharevba, who sought asylum in Canada under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA). The Canadian Immigration Appeal Division ruled against him, citing his membership of the PDP and alleging that the party engaged in “acts of subversion.”
In upholding the ruling, the Federal Court referenced Nigerian political parties in a manner that left the clear impression that they are terrorist organizations.
This is profoundly troubling. By painting entire parties with the brush of terrorism, the Canadian court committed a grave error with serious diplomatic consequences. The judgment was not only factually shaky, referencing APC membership in 2007, even though the party was not formed until 2013, it was politically reckless.
At a youth media mentorship programme I attended in Abuja recently, I raised this issue before some brilliant university students. To my shock, several of them argued that it was not a bad thing, since in their eyes Nigerian parties are havens for thuggery and corruption. I left that hall troubled. Not because their criticism of our parties is baseless, but because they could not see the international damage such a label does.
When a Canadian court brands our political institutions as terrorist groups, it is not an internal criticism. It is an external attack that diminishes Nigeria’s image abroad. It risks staining every Nigerian passport holder, every entrepreneur, every professional who carries our flag into the world. That so many young people cannot see this frightens me for the future of our patriotism.
The APC’s spokesperson tried to downplay the issue by arguing that the ruling did not explicitly declare the party a terrorist group. Technically, this is true, the judge refrained from a formal terrorism ruling but this misses the broader point. The damage has been done.
By contrast, I was more impressed with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ response. Their statement correctly framed the ruling as “reckless” and “an unacceptable interference in Nigeria’s internal affairs and democratic processes.”
They demanded that Canada retract the designation and warned of the dangerous implications of labeling entire political parties as terrorist bodies. This is the tone Nigeria must sustain firm, unapologetic, and uncompromising.
Too often, Nigeria has allowed foreign governments, courts, and commentators to ridicule us without consequence. From Niger Republic’s military rulers mocking our president to Western media outlets constantly maligning our institutions, we have become too comfortable issuing carefully worded rebuttals and moving on. Enough is enough.
Some time ago, when the military ruler of Niger Republic insulted Nigeria and President Tinubu, I was deeply hurt to see certain opposition figures and youths from parts of our country celebrating it and even turning it into social media ridicule. It pained me, it saddened me, and it gave me sleepless nights.
For God’s sake, Tinubu is our President, whether one voted for him or not. I believe every Nigerian, regardless of political or ethnic affiliation, has a duty to defend the honour of the office of the President against unwarranted foreign attacks.
From Ogun to Sokoto, from Akwa Ibom to Borno, we are one people. It should never matter whether the President is Hausa, Igbo, or Yoruba; he represents all of us. Today it is Tinubu, tomorrow it could be Atiku Abubakar, Amaechi, or Peter Obi, whoever occupies that seat deserves our collective defence against external ridicule.
So, whether you voted APC, PDP, or Labour Party does not matter. Whether you are Yoruba, Hausa, Igbo, or Tiv does not matter. This insult here is against Nigeria. It is against us all. If a Canadian court can casually smear our democracy, tomorrow it could be our military, our judiciary, or our entire economy.
Canada itself is no stranger to political scandal and democratic challenges. In December 2024, its Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland resigned amid political turmoil and governance scandals. Yet Nigeria has never stood on a podium anywhere in the world to declare Canadian institutions as “terrorist.” Why then should Canada get away with such baseless defamation against us?
Nigeria must act decisively. The Canadian High Commissioner in Abuja should be summoned immediately for explanations. A formal protest must be lodged, backed with a warning that bilateral trade and cooperation could be reviewed if this insult is not retracted. This is not posturing, it is defending our sovereignty.
To tolerate this affront without consequences is to invite more of it in the future. Nations respect strength, not silence. Canada must be made to understand that Nigeria is not a country to be toyed with, nor are our institutions to be casually defamed in foreign courts.
This is not about APC or PDP. It is not about defending politicians. It is about defending Nigeria. Our country must respond firmly, decisively, and unapologetically. Anything less will be seen as weakness.
Canada must retract this reckless ruling or face the diplomatic consequences.
- Abdullateef is former Editor, LEADERSHIP Newspaper, member Nigerian Guild of Editors and Publisher of News Point Nigeria. He has also been a contributor to international news organizations such as the BBC and Al Jazeera.