The Presidency has dismissed reports suggesting that Nigeria was snubbed in the recent United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council election.
In a statement on Sunday by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, addressed the viral claims, stating that Nigeria was not overlooked in the election held on October 9, 2024.
He made the clarification in response to reports that the country did not participate as a candidate.
He explained that the country had not submitted its candidacy for the 2025-2027 term, making the claims of exclusion baseless.
Onanuga noted that during the election, the UN General Assembly selected 18 new members to join the Human Rights Council, emphasizing that Nigeria’s absence from the list was due to its decision not to contest in this cycle, rather than being a result of any exclusion or snub.
He said “the members elected to the Council are 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 is an intergovernmental body within the UN system consisting of 47 States tasked with promoting and protecting human rights globally.
“The election, conducted via secret ballot, determined which nations would fill three-year terms beginning on January 1, 2025, replacing members whose terms expire on December 31, 2024.
“Among the outgoing members are Argentina, Benin, Cameroon, Eritrea, Finland, Gambia, Honduras, India, Kazakhstan, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Montenegro, Paraguay, Qatar, Somalia, United Arab Emirates and the United States.
”According to a report on the meeting published by the UN, Argentina, Cameroon, Eritrea, India and Somalia, which had served two consecutive terms, were ineligible for immediate re-election.
”Also, Albania, Algeria, Brazil, China, Ghana, Japan, and South Africa will continue serving on the Council.
”In the African regional group, the endorsed candidates—Benin, Gambia, Kenya, DRC, and Ethiopia—successfully secured all five available seats.”
Onanuga pointed out that there was no competition in the African regional group, as the continent fielded the same number of candidates as available seats.
He further clarified that the regional bloc endorsed Benin and Gambia, both members of ECOWAS, for the 2025-2027 term.
The Presidency’s statement also addressed previous misinformation, stating that whatever vote was recorded for our country must have been cast in error in the secret balloting by some countries which thought Nigeria was on the ballot.
Explaining Nigeria’s position, the statement highlighted the country’s focus on regional unity, emphasizing that given Nigeria’s continued leadership in fostering African unity, the nation focused on supporting the endorsed candidates to promote collective African representation.
This approach, according to Onanuga, “aligns with Nigeria’s long-standing diplomatic efforts to ensure Africa speaks with a united voice on the global stage.”
The presidency urged media outlets to verify information before publication, noting, “The media should cross-check their information before rushing to press. There was no sign this was done with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or our country’s mission in New York.”
Onanuga appealed to national pride, stating, “As Nigerians, we should not be quick to disparage or drag our country, especially on international matters.”
