Nigeria Was Not Snubbed in UN Human Rights Council Election — Presidency Clarifies

The Nigerian Presidency has debunked claims that the country was snubbed in the recent United Nations Human Rights Council elections. In a statement released by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, the presidency addressed rumors circulating in the media about Nigeria’s exclusion from the council, calling them misleading.

Onanuga clarified that Nigeria did not contest in the election for the 2025-2027 term of the UN Human Rights Council. “Contrary to reports, Nigeria was not snubbed, as the country did not stand as a candidate for this cycle of elections,” he stated.

On October 9, 2024, the UN General Assembly elected 18 new members to the council, including Benin, Bolivia, Colombia, Cyprus, Czechia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Gambia, Iceland, Kenya, Marshall Islands, Mexico, North Macedonia, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Spain, Switzerland, and Thailand. The council, an intergovernmental body within the UN, is responsible for promoting and protecting human rights globally, with members serving three-year terms.

Nigeria, Onanuga explained, chose to focus on supporting other African nations in the election, as part of its diplomatic strategy to promote regional unity. “In the African regional group, five seats were available, and the endorsed candidates — Benin, Gambia, Kenya, DRC, and Ethiopia — successfully filled these seats. There was no competition as the number of candidates matched the number of seats,” Onanuga added.

The presidency emphasized Nigeria’s role in fostering African unity, saying, “Nigeria’s diplomatic efforts prioritize collective African representation on global platforms, aligning with our long-standing strategy to ensure Africa speaks with one voice internationally.”

Responding to erroneous reports suggesting Nigeria received votes in the secret ballot, the presidency clarified that any votes for Nigeria were cast in error, as the country was not on the ballot.

The presidency urged the media to verify facts before publishing, noting that information should have been checked with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or Nigeria’s mission in New York. “We should not rush to disparage or drag our country, especially on international matters,” Onanuga advised.