Canadian Court Declares APC, PDP Terrorist Organisations — US Lawyer Bruce Fein Says Ruling Vindicates Nnamdi Kanu
Bruce Fein, U.S. constitutional lawyer and counsel to Nnamdi Kanu, says a Canadian court’s recent ruling branding Nigeria’s two major political parties the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as terrorist organisations proves that the tables should be turned in Kanu’s prosecution.
Speaking via X (formerly Twitter), Fein compared the Nigerian government’s case against the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader to “Lucifer prosecuting Jesus for impiety,” arguing that if justice prevailed, Kanu would be prosecuting President Bola Tinubu and the Nigerian government, not the other way around.
The comments follow a June 17, 2025 judgment by Justice Phuong T.V. Ngo of the Federal Court of Canada, which upheld an earlier ruling declaring APC and PDP engaged in conduct amounting to terrorism and subversion of democratic institutions.
The court dismissed the asylum application of Douglas Egharevba, a Nigerian and admitted PDP member, ruling that party membership alone made him inadmissible to Canada under paragraph 34(1)(f) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA).
Citing the Immigration Appeal Division’s findings, Justice Ngo noted that members of both parties had engaged in political violence, ballot stuffing, voter intimidation, and even murder acts deemed too widespread to be separated from party leadership responsibility. The court concluded such conduct met Canada’s definition of terrorism, aimed at intimidating the public for political objectives.
While both parties were found guilty of such acts, the PDP was said to have committed the majority during its 16 years in power.
Fein, a long-time critic of the Nigerian government’s handling of Kanu’s case, has accused authorities of human rights violations, illegal rendition, and breaching international law. Kanu has been in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) since June 2021, facing terrorism and treason-related charges, which he denies.
IPOB continues to push for a Biafra independence referendum, while the Nigerian government insists the group’s activities threaten national unity and security.
