Beyond APC, PDP’s Denial of Terrorist Tag

A Canadian court ruling has sparked controversy in Nigeria, as it declared an applicant, Douglas Egharevba, inadmissible to Canada under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. The court found that Egharevba's membership in both the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Progressives Congress (APC) in Nigeria linked him to organizations engaged in political violence, subversion, and terrorism.

The court cited instances of violence, intimidation, and murder committed by PDP members during elections as evidence. Despite Egharevba's denial of personal involvement in terrorism, the court concluded that the PDP's leadership had a high degree of control over its members' actions.

The ruling was seen by many as an indictment of both the APC and PDP, with the APC refuting the terrorist label and the PDP dismissing the classification as biased and lacking evidence. The Nigerian government also criticized the ruling as baseless and unacceptable interference in its internal affairs.