While Canada’s Refugee Protection Division (RPD) approved the claims of his wife and children, it rejected his, stating he “was not a conventional refugee.”
A Canadian federal court has denied the asylum claim of Yoruba Nation leader Ayoola Oke, citing insufficient evidence of persecution in Nigeria or South Africa, where he holds permanent residency.
Mr. Oke filed for asylum in 2022 after arriving in Canada with his family, claiming political persecution due to his support for the Yoruba Nation movement.
While Canada’s Refugee Protection Division (RPD) approved the claims of his wife and children, it rejected his, stating he “was not a conventional refugee.”
After appeals failed, Mr. Oke sought a judicial review, arguing the Refugee Appeal Division (RAD) wrongfully dismissed new text message evidence. But on May 16, 2025, Justice Ann McDonald upheld the RAD’s decision, ruling, “The Federal Court has determined that the test for admissibility of new evidence leaves no room for discretion.”
She also dismissed Oke’s claim that the RAD ignored press coverage, noting, “The role of this court is not to reweigh the evidence.”