"Members of Terrorist Organisation": Sowore Blasts APC, PDP After Canadian Court Declaration
- Omoyele Sowore criticised Nigeria’s APC and PDP as “terrorist organisations” following a Canadian court ruling linking the parties to political violence
- The Canadian Federal Court upheld the inadmissibility of Nigerian national Egharevba, citing intelligence on electoral violence, voter intimidation, and killings linked to both parties
- Sowore urged Nigerians to reflect on political conduct, warning that party affiliation can have real-world consequences when tied to violence and oppression
Human rights activist and former presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore has sharply criticised Nigeria’s two major political parties, the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), following a Canadian court ruling that flagged the parties for involvement in political violence.
The Canadian Federal Court in Ottawa, Ontario, recently struck out the judicial review application of Nigerian national Egharevba, who had sought to challenge his inadmissibility under Canada’s Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA).
Source: Twitter
Sowore calls APC, PDP terrorist organisations
Reacting to the court’s declaration, Sowore via his official X tweeted:
“If you have ever been a member of the People’s Democratic Party (@OfficialPDPNig) or the All Progressives Congress (@OfficialAPCNg), then you have been a member of a terrorist organisation.
"Maybe the only difference is the cell where you’re operating from, and that’s not my opinion, that’s from the unassailable position of a Canadian Federal Court in Ottawa, Ontario.”
Court cites political violence and electoral subversion
Justice Phuong Ngo, in a judgment on 17 June 2025, dismissed Egharevba’s judicial review after the Immigration Appeal Division (IAD) confirmed his inadmissibility.
Court documents noted that Egharevba had been a PDP member from 1999 to 2007 before joining the APC until 2017, when he moved to Canada and disclosed his political history.
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The Canadian authorities cited intelligence linking the two parties to electoral violence, voter intimidation, and politically motivated killings, particularly during the PDP’s 2003 elections and 2004 local government polls.
According to the tribunal, party leaders benefited from violence and made no meaningful efforts to halt it, actions consistent with Canada’s legal definition of subversion under the IRPA.
Sowore urges accountability and reflection
Sowore used the ruling to urge Nigerians to reflect on the conduct of their political leaders.
“This is a wake-up call for every Nigerian to recognise that political affiliation is not just a badge, but can have real-world consequences when linked to violence and oppression,” he said.
The court’s ruling has sparked widespread debate about the role of major political parties in Nigeria’s democratic process and the implications for citizens seeking immigration or asylum abroad.
Omoyele Sowore condemns NYSC
Previously, Legit.ng reported that human rights advocate and former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, has publicly criticised the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) for what he termed a “gross injustice” against corps member Rita Uguamaye, popularly known as Raye, after she was denied her final discharge certificate last Thursday.
In a statement posted on his official X handle on Saturday, Sowore, who is also the publisher of Sahara Reporters, pledged unwavering support for the activist. “We had promised to fight for her justice, and that promise remains unbroken,” he wrote.
Source: Legit.ng
