A Canadian Federal Court has rejected the asylum application of Adam Omozakari Ayonote, a prominent member of Nigeria’s Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), ruling that his claims lacked credible evidence. The decision, delivered on November 15, 2024, showed that Ayonote’s assertions of political persecution were insufficient to warrant refugee status.

Ayonote, who fled Nigeria to Canada in 2018, claimed that his life was in danger due to his political activities. He alleged that he was shot multiple times in 2005 by a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), citing this as the beginning of ongoing threats against him. He further claimed that in 2014, after testifying in a corruption trial against a senior APC official, he became the target of repeated attacks, including an assault at an airport, which intensified the risks to his life.

However, the court, under Justice Whyte Nowak, dismissed these allegations as embellished and lacking credibility. The ruling stated that Ayonote failed to connect the 2005 shooting to the APC, which did not exist at that time, noting that the party was founded in 2013. The court also criticized his inconsistent testimony, including his failure to provide reliable evidence linking the incidents of persecution to his political views.

The Refugee Appeal Division (RAD) found that Ayonote’s claim did not meet the standards for asylum under Canada’s Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA). The court pointed out that Ayonote had failed to establish a clear, forward-facing risk if he were to return to Nigeria. The ruling also questioned his credibility, citing inconsistencies in his account of the alleged 2014 and 2018 events, including his vacations to the U.S. in 2014 and 2015, and his return to Nigeria despite claiming to fear for his life.

The court further rejected the idea that Ayonote was a victim of political persecution, noting that his failure to claim refugee status at the first available opportunity undermined his case. The judge emphasized that the lack of direct threats or consistent danger further weakened Ayonote’s claim.