The Federal Government has urged Canada to withdraw a court ruling that labelled some Nigerian political parties as terrorist organisations.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued the statement on Friday through its spokesman, Kimiebi Ebienfa, in reaction to a judgement involving a Nigerian asylum-seeker, Douglas Egharevba.

Egharevba, who arrived in Canada in September 2017, was denied residency after the court ruled that his past membership of certain Nigerian political parties linked him to political violence.

Nigeria described the designation as baseless, reckless, and a violation of its sovereignty.

“The classification is unacceptable interference in Nigeria’s internal affairs and democratic processes,” the ministry stated. “Our political parties are lawful institutions integral to the country’s democracy. To equate them with terrorism, without credible evidence, misrepresents reality and risks fuelling unnecessary tensions.”

The Federal Government stressed that the ruling unfairly painted entire political parties as terrorist organisations, including those that had produced three democratically elected presidents.

It further urged Canada to pursue constructive dialogue with Nigerian institutions to correct the error, noting that diplomatic channels remained open.

“Nigeria remains committed to the global fight against terrorism and has made notable progress in countering extremist groups within its borders,” the statement added. It also cautioned Nigerian nationals against making unfounded allegations about their country in pursuit of asylum abroad.