3.5. Members and supporters of political parties

The All Progressives Congress (APC) and the People's Democratic Party (PDP) are the main political parties in Nigeria. Although the legal framework of Nigeria guarantees the right to organise in political parties, equal participation in political life, freedom of expression and the right to peaceful assembly, in practice, legislation on sedition, criminal defamation, and false information have constrained these rights.

Some acts to which members and supporters of political parties could be exposed are of such severe nature that they would amount to persecution. More specifically, incidents of violence were reported in the context of gubernatorial and state elections, including assaults, shootings, abductions and killings. Killings also occurred in the context of clashes between APC and PDP supporters over control of local government areas (LGAs).

The severity and/or repetitiveness of other acts that members and supporters of political parties could be subjected to and whether they occur as an accumulation of various measures should also be considered. More specifically, federal and state authorities routinely prohibit or disperse public gatherings deemed to threaten national security or likely to provoke political, ethnic, or religious unrest.

The individual assessment of whether there is a reasonable degree of likelihood for members and supporters of political parties to face persecution should take into account risk-impacting circumstances, and in particular the level of political activity. Candidates, and members of political parties, political figures, as well as active organisers of political elections face a higher risk of persecution, especially during pre-election periods.

Where well-founded fear of persecution is substantiated for an applicant under this profile, this is highly likely to be for reasons of political opinion, as membership or support for a specific political party is perceived by other parties as opposing their political stance.