• Analyst: “This is the time we need Ambassadors to boost Nigeria’s Image”
By Abiola Olawale
Renowned human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Femi Falana, has called on the Federal Government to immediately engage immigration lawyers to challenge a Canadian Court ruling that reportedly slapped a terrorist tag on Nigeria’s two dominant political parties, the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The legal luminary warned that the ruling could lead to widespread denial of visas or deportation of Nigerians abroad who are members of the APC and PDP.
Falana also called on the PDP and the APC to prove they are not terrorist organizations. This follows a Canadian Federal Court ruling that purportedly classified both parties as entities engaged in terrorism.
On June 17, 2025, Justice Phuong Ngo of the Canadian Federal Court upheld an immigration tribunal decision denying asylum to Douglas Egharevba, a Nigerian citizen, citing his long-standing affiliation with the APC and PDP.
The court referenced Canada’s Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA), which bars individuals linked to organizations involved in terrorism or subversion of democratic processes.
Reacting, Falana, in a statement issued on Monday, criticized the APC and PDP for dismissing the ruling as “ignorant” and “mischievous” without addressing its substance.
According to him, the ruling carries severe implications for Nigeria’s global image and its citizens abroad.
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.
“Instead of abusing the Canadian judge, the APC and PDP should urgently adopt legal measures to prove that they are not terrorist organisations.
“If the ruling is registered in the United States, the United Kingdom, France, and elsewhere, members of the APC and PDP may have their visas revoked and may be deported.
“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.”
The New Diplomat reports that controversy comes at a time when Nigeria’s foreign policy is under scrutiny due to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s failure to appoint ambassadors since recalling all 109 career and non-career envoys in September 2023.
A foreign policy analyst who spoke with The New Diplomat said the delay, now over two years, has left Nigeria’s diplomatic missions reliant on junior diplomats and chargés d’affaires, who lack the authority and access of accredited ambassadors.
According to the analyst, the absence of ambassadors has weakened Nigeria’s ability to engage in global forums, negotiate trade deals, and address consular issues, exacerbating the impact of the Canadian ruling.
The analyst said: “The prolonged absence of ambassadors signals a lack of foreign policy direction. At a time when Nigeria needs to project strength and secure economic partnerships, this diplomatic inertia undermines our global standing and leaves us vulnerable to misrepresentations like the Canadian ruling.”
