The Federal Government of Nigeria has delivered a strong diplomatic rebuke to a recent ruling by the Federal Court of Canada, which controversially classified certain Nigerian political parties as “terrorist organisations.”
In a strongly worded statement issued on Friday by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson, Kimiebi Ebienfa, Nigeria described the decision as reckless, baseless, and an unacceptable intrusion into the country’s internal affairs and democratic processes.
The ruling, made in connection with the immigration case of Nigerian national Douglas Egharevba — who arrived in Canada in 2017 seeking refugee status — reportedly claimed that some political organisations in Nigeria had links to terrorism.
Nigeria’s government has dismissed the judgment as a dangerous overreach that fails to distinguish between isolated actions of individuals and the lawful operations of recognised political entities.
> “This sweeping accusation against the entire membership of a political party — a party that has produced three democratically elected presidents — is utterly false, unfounded, and unacceptable,” the statement read.
The FG warned that the ruling’s broader implication was to wrongfully brand millions of Nigerian citizens as potential terrorists, a move that could fuel misinformation, distort Nigeria’s political reality, and stoke unnecessary tensions both at home and abroad.
Ebienfa stressed that Nigeria’s political parties operate within a robust constitutional and legal framework and play a central role in sustaining the country’s vibrant democracy.
The ministry called on Canadian authorities to immediately reverse the designation and to avoid lending credibility to politically motivated narratives designed to misrepresent Nigeria’s political environment.
> “Diplomatic channels remain open for constructive dialogue, and we urge the Government of Canada to engage directly with relevant Nigerian institutions to rectify this grave error,” Ebienfa added.
Reaffirming Nigeria’s firm stance against terrorism, the government underscored its extensive efforts to combat violent extremism and its commitment to global security cooperation. It urged the international community to treat the ruling with the contempt it deserves.
The FG also issued a stern warning to Nigerian citizens abroad, cautioning against making false and damaging claims about the country in pursuit of asylum or immigration advantages.
> “Nigeria remains a sovereign nation committed to democratic governance and the rule of law. Associating legitimate political organisations with terrorism without credible evidence is a dangerous misrepresentation,” the statement concluded.
With this diplomatic pushback, Abuja has signalled that it will not tolerate any international judgment that undermines its democratic institutions or tarnishes the image of its political system.
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