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Nigeria did not face a rejection in the recent UN Human Rights Council election, contrary to some media reports, clarified Mr. Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, in a statement on Sunday. He emphasized that Nigeria was not a candidate for the 2024 elections, nor had it been in the 2023 cycle when similar inaccurate claims were made.
Onanuga pointed out that the erroneous report suggesting Nigeria received a few votes was likely due to confusion during the secret balloting. “Whatever vote was recorded for our country must have been cast in error,” he explained.
He further outlined that for this election cycle, the West African bloc endorsed Benin and Gambia for the 2025-2027 term. Nigeria’s support for these countries reflected President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to promoting collective African representation on the global stage. Onanuga urged the media to verify facts with relevant authorities, such as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, before publishing such claims.
In the election held on October 9, the UN General Assembly selected 18 new members for the Human Rights Council. African nations securing seats included Benin, Gambia, Kenya, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Ethiopia, as they filled all available spots in their regional group without competition.
