Falana Links APC, PDP Violence to Canadian Terrorist Ruling by pointing to Nigeria’s long record of violent elections, rigging, and the use of state security to silence opposition. According to him, these actions have given foreign observers reason to doubt the credibility of Nigeria’s political system.
The Human rights lawyer has warned that both the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) must act fast to clear their names. He made this statement after a Canadian court ruling that described the two parties as terrorist organisations.
“Instead of abusing the Canadian judge, the APC and PDP should, as a matter of urgency, adopt legal measures to prove that they are not terrorist organisations,” Falana said in a statement on Monday.
Falana Links APC, PDP Violence to Nigeria’s Election History
The Senior Advocate of Nigeria argued that the Canadian court ruling did not come out of nowhere. Falana Links APC, PDP Violence to Canadian Terrorist Ruling by pointing to repeated patterns of rigging, fake results, and open violence during elections.
“It is common knowledge that both APC and PDP rig elections and announce fake results with the assistance of armed police personnel and soldiers. Concerned citizens who kick against rigging are violently attacked and killed, while the perpetrators are never prosecuted,” he said.
He recalled comments from past leaders that support this image. Former President Olusegun Obasanjo once called the 2003 election a “do-or-die affair.” In 2023, President Bola Tinubu urged his supporters to “fight for power, grab it, snatch it, and run with it.” For Falana, these words add to the evidence that APC and PDP rely on violence instead of free choice.
Terrorist Ruling and Global Image
Falana said the ruling could have serious global consequences. He explained that asylum applications by Nigerians linked to APC or PDP could now face rejection. People may also lose visas or face deportation from countries like the United States, the United Kingdom, and France.
“If the ruling is not set aside, it may be registered in the United States, UK, France etc. The implication is that members of the APC and PDP may be deported or have their visas revoked,” Falana warned.
He also accused the Nigerian government of applying the Terrorism (Prevention) Act in a biased way. While poor and unarmed protesters from the #EndHardship and #EndBadGovernance movements face terrorism charges, politicians who loot public funds escape justice. According to Falana, this injustice only strengthens the case against Nigeria’s ruling parties.
Call for Action
The lawyer said the government should not waste time if it wants to avoid greater damage to Nigeria’s image. He urged the authorities to hire immigration lawyers and take urgent steps to clear the stigma of the Canadian judgment.
“The government should hire immigration lawyers to take urgent action to remove the stigma of infamy contained in the judgement of the Canadian court. The collateral damage of the judgement will certainly affect other citizens since the Government of their homeland has been sponsored by two terrorist political parties,” Falana said.
Falana Links APC, PDP Violence to Canadian Terrorist Ruling
The statement from Falana is one of the strongest criticisms of Nigeria’s political culture in recent years. By linking APC and PDP violence to the Canadian terrorist ruling, he warned that the country risks global embarrassment unless urgent action is taken. For him, the solution is clear: both parties must prove through legal means that they are not terrorist organisations, or risk carrying the label across the world.
