The Nigerian government has voiced strong concern over a recent ruling by a Canadian federal court that classified certain political parties in Nigeria as “terrorist organisations.”
The designation arose from a case involving a Nigerian national, Mr. Douglas Egharevba, who arrived in Canada in September 2017 and sought inland refugee status under the country’s Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.
Spokesperson of Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa, in a statement, said the Nigerian government not only considers the classification as baseless but also describes it as reckless and constituting an unacceptable interference in Nigeria’s internal affairs and democratic processes.
— Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Nigeria 🇳🇬 (@NigeriaMFA) August 15, 2025
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.
Mr. Ebienfa emphasises that 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,” he stated.
Mr. Ebienfa noted that the Federal Government of Nigeria calls on the Canadian authorities to immediately retract the 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.
“Nigeria remains committed to the global fight against terrorism and has made significant strides in countering extremist groups within its borders; therefore, it called on the international community to disregard this misguided ruling and reaffirm its confidence in Nigeria’s democratic governance and rule of law,” Mr. Ebienfa added.