The Presidency has denied speculation making the rounds that Nigeria lost the election to be a member of the United Nations General Assembly, Human Rights Council for the 2025-2027 term.
On October 9, 2024, the United Nations General Assembly elected 18 members to the Human Rights Council for the 2025-2027 term.
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.
Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy in a statement on Sunday said in the African regional group, the endorsed candidates were Benin, Gambia, Kenya, DRC and Ethiopia who successfully secured all five available seats.
The presidential aide said, “There was no competition in the African regional group, as the continent fielded the same number of candidates as available seats.”
Mr Onanuga said contrary to information in circulation, “Nigeria was not snubbed in this election, as some reports have falsely claimed. “The country did not stand as a candidate for this cycle of elections, just like it did not stand for election in 2023 when a Nigerian medium sensationally reported that the country earned three votes.
“The same lie was rehashed in the erroneous report in circulation. Again, we restate that Nigeria was not on the ballot in the election held on 9 October. 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.” He said for those conversant with elections into international organisations, especially the Human Rights Council, countries vying for positions usually receive regional endorsements.
Onanuga disclosed that the regional bloc endorsed Benin and Gambia, both members of ECOWAS, for the 2025-2027 term.
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