Human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, Femi Falana, has challenged the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to show anything that proves that they are not terrorist organisations, as ruled by a Canadian Federal Court.
The court under Justice Phuong Ngo had, in a few days past, described both Nigerian political parties as entities engaging in conduct amounting to terrorism under Canadian law.
He stated that the two major political bodies in Nigeria use violence, coercion and subversion of democratic institutions in their bid to acquire political power.
In a Monday statement, Falana said the parties should address the grave issues raised in the judgement instead of dismissing the pronouncement.
According to the statement, Falana warned that the verdict was right, highlighting that under Nigeria’s Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act 2022, terrorism is defined as the use of violence, intimidation, or coercive tactics with political or ideological motives.
He stressed that the definition aligns with the actions the mentioned parties frequently observe during elections in the country.
He said; “It is common knowledge that APC and PDP rig elections and announce fake results with the assistance of armed thugs, police and military personnel.
The activist added that violence, killings, and voter intimidation has marred Nigeria electoral processes over the years without perpetrators facing justice.
He called the parties out demanding that they fully address the ruling rather than slamming the court.
According to him, the immediate responses to the ruling wherein the APC described the Canadian judge as ignorant and the PDP labelled the decision mischievous is misplaced priority as they should be tackling the substantive issues.
According to him, instead of abusing the Canadian judge, the APC and PDP should urgently adopt legal measures to prove that they are not terrorist organisations.
Falana further highlighted the potential consequences of the ruling urging the Federal Government to act swiftly by engaging immigration lawyers to mitigate
He added; “If the ruling is registered in the United States, United Kingdom, France and elsewhere, members of the APC and PDP may have their visas revoked and may be deported.
“Mere diplomatic protests to Canadian authorities would not undo the judgment, insisting that Nigerian judges and security agencies must hold political parties accountable to constitutional and legal standards, particularly during elections.
“The federal government should hire immigration lawyers to take urgent action to remove the stigma of infamy contained in the judgment. The collateral damage will certainly affect other citizens since the government of their homeland has been sponsored by two terrorist political parties.
He further called for the Electoral Act and prosecution of election offenders be fully enforced by the Federal Government.
He noted that restoring credibility to Nigeria’s democratic processes is the only way to protect its global image.
