Nigeria Dismisses Claims of Snub in UN Human Rights Council Election, Attributes Low Votes to Error

The Presidency, , said whatever vote that was recorded for Nigeria at the United Nations General Assembly election held to fill the seats for 18 members to the Human Rights Council for the 2025-2027 term, must have been cast in error in the secret balloting by countries which thought Nigeria was on the ballot.

It, therefore, dismissed reports that Nigeria was snubbed during the exercise.

Special Adviser to the President on Information & Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, denied the report in a statement on Sunday.

He clarified that Nigeria was not on the ballot 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. 

According to Onanuga, whatever vote was recorded for the country must have been cast in error in the secret balloting by some countries which thought Nigeria was on the ballot.

He stated that countries vying for positions into key bodies like the Human Rights Council, usually received regional endorsements, stressing that the regional bloc endorsed Benin and the Gambia, both members of ECOWAS, for the 2025-2027 term.

According to him, there was no competition in the African regional group, as the continent fielded the same number of candidates as available seats.

He affirmed that the endorsed candidates in the African regional group – Benin, Gambia, Kenya, DRC, and Ethiopia– successfully secured all five available seats.

Onanuga appealed to Nigerians not be quick to disparage or drag the country, especially on international matters.

“Given Nigeria’s continued leadership in fostering African unity, the nation focused on supporting the endorsed candidates to promote collective African representation.

“This has been the hallmark of President Bola Tinubu’s leadership on the continent. This strategic approach aligns with Nigeria’s long-standing diplomatic efforts to ensure Africa speaks with a united voice on the global stage,” he said.

The presidential aide also urged the media to always cross-check their information before rushing to press, asserting that was no sign this was done with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or the country’s mission in New York. 

Onanuga said apart from Benin and the Gambia, other elected members to the council were Bolivia, Colombia, Cyprus, Czechia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Iceland, Kenya, Marshall Islands, Mexico, North Macedonia, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Spain, Switzerland and Thailand.

He said, “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.”

He noted that 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.

Olawale Ajimotokan

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