The Federal Government has strongly criticised a Canadian court decision that tagged some Nigerian political parties as terrorist organisations. The government described the move as “reckless” and harmful to the country’s democracy.
A statement issued in Abuja on Friday by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson, Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa, said the ruling could be wrongly interpreted as support for false political claims against Nigeria.
The case came up during the asylum application of Douglas Egharevba, a Nigerian who moved to Canada in September 2017 and applied for refugee status under Canada’s immigration law.
According to the statement, “The Federal Government of Nigeria express deep concerns over the recent ruling by a Canadian Federal court that erroneously designates certain political parties in Nigeria as ‘terrorist organizations.”
“The declaration was in pursuance of a case involving a Nigerian, Douglas Egharevba, who arrived in Canada in September 2017 and applied for inland refugee status under the immigration and Refugee Protection Act of Canada.”
“A statement by this baseless classification is not only reckless but also constitutes an unacceptable interference in Nigeria’s internal affairs and democratic processes.”
“The Court made a sweeping accusation against the entire membership of a political party that has produced three democratically elected presidents, instead of focusing on individuals found wanting. 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 government stressed that Nigerian political parties are lawful and part of a functioning democracy.
“Nigeria is a sovereign nation with a robust legal and constitutional framework governing political activities. Our political parties operate within the ambit of the law and are integral to the country’s 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.”
It also called on the Canadian authorities to correct the decision.
“The Federal Government of Nigeria, therefore, calls on the Canadian authorities to immediately retract this erroneous designation and refrain from actions that could be misconstrued as endorsing politically motivated narratives against Nigeria. Diplomatic channels remain open for constructive dialogue, and we urge the Government of Canada to engage with the relevant Nigerian institutions to rectify this error.”
Reaffirming its stance, Nigeria said it has achieved progress in fighting terrorism at home and asked the international community not to accept the Canadian ruling.
“Nigeria remains committed to the global fight against terrorism and has made significant strides in countering extremist groups within its borders; therefore, called on the international community to disregard this misguided ruling and reaffirm its confidence in Nigeria’s democratic governance and rule of law.”
