AFRINIC Elections 2026: Call for Candidates

Election 2026

The Nomination Committee 2026, under the Chairmanship of Mr Ganesh Ramalingum, is hereby calling for nominations from the AFRINIC Membership and its Community for the following open positions;


1.⁠ ⁠Three (3) Seats for the Governance Committee

The AFRINIC Governance Committee is a standing committee whose purpose is to advise the AFRINIC Board, AFRINIC Membership, and the community, on matters of governance.

The GC Charter is available at https://afrinic.net/govcom#tor

As an exceptional transitional arrangement applicable to this election only, the 3 elected members shall be assigned staggered terms expiring in three (3) consecutive years as follows:

  • the candidate receiving the highest number of votes shall assume office upon election and serve until 31 December 2029
  • the candidate receiving the second-highest number of votes shall assume office upon election and serve until 31 December 2028; and
  • the candidate receiving the third-highest number of votes shall assume office upon election and serve until 31 December 2027.

Thereafter, future replacements would typically serve normal three-year terms.

For the avoidance of doubt, the aforesaid 3 elected representatives are voted by the AFRINIC Resource Members in good standing, as reflected in the MyAFRINIC system at the time of voting.


2.⁠ ⁠Two (2) Seats for the NRO NC / ASO AC community representatives

The Number Resource Organisation  Number Council (NRO NC), also serving as the  ASO Address Council (ASO AC),  operate as a single entity (NRO NC / ASO AC), and consist of 15 members, three from each of the five Regional Internet Registries (RIR) communities.

The ASO AC is part of the ICANN Address Support Organisation (ASO). The NRO NC is part of the Number Resource Organisation (NRO) created by the five RIRs. 

More information is available at https://afrinic.net/committees 

As an exceptional transitional arrangement applicable to this election only, the 2 elected representatives shall be assigned staggered terms expiring in two (2) consecutive years as follows:

  • the candidate receiving the highest number of votes shall assume office upon election and serve until 31 December 2029; and
  • the candidate receiving the second-highest number of votes shall assume office upon election and serve until 31 December 2028.

Thereafter, future replacements would typically serve normal three-year terms.

For the purposes of this election, eligible voters shall include individuals, whether acting as representatives of Resource Members or otherwise, who form part of the African Internet community and who have completed the required registration process for inclusion on the community voter register. 

Do note that individuals not being a designated voter of an eligible Resource Member must have been on AFRINIC’s mailing list, including Resource Policy Discussion, Community-Discuss, or Members-Discuss, for at least three (3) years immediately prior to his/her online registration for the meeting and been vetted. Clause 8.2.1 of the Election Guidelines refers.

 

3.⁠ ⁠Two (2) PDP Co-Chairs [consensus-based]

The two (2) selected PDP Co-Chairs shall be assigned staggered terms expiring in two (2) consecutive years:

  • one selected candidate shall, exceptionally, serve a one-year term ending at the first Public Policy Meeting (PPM) following the expiry of that one-year term,
  • the other selected candidate shall serve a standard two-year term ending at the first PPM following the expiry of his or her two-year term based on the wish of the PDWG during the said PPM.

Thereafter, future replacements would typically serve normal two-year terms.

Consistent with Article 11.2 of the AFRINIC bylaws, and in order to give full effect to AFRINIC’s bottom-up governance model, the section process to be conducted during the PPM will involve individuals, whether acting as representatives of Resource Members or otherwise, who form part of the African Internet community and who have completed the required registration process for attending the said meeting.

The Nomination Committee 2026 wishes to receive Nominations from all of the AFRINIC sub-regions and explicitly seeks to promote both gender and linguistic diversity, although a working understanding of the English language is required.

The nomination requirements and Election Guidelines are available at http://election.afrinic.net/election-guideline-2026 

To nominate yourself or a candidate of your choice, please complete the applicable nomination form at:


Kindly note that each candidature must be supported by two (2) AFRINIC Resource Members in good standing. 

The nomination period shall end on 29th May 2026 at 23:59 UTC.

Please note that any person convicted of an offence involving dishonesty, fraud, or breach of trust shall not be eligible for consideration for the aforementioned positions.

The Nomination Committee reserves the right to disqualify nominees from the final candidates slate who engage in any form of election malpractice.


2026 ELECTIONS TIMELINE


The following timeline shall apply, insofar as reasonably practicable.

  • Open Call for Nominations 8th May 2026
  • Close Call for Nominations 29th May 2026
  • Candidate Vetting and Verification 30 May 2026 to 10th June 2026
  • Provisional Candidate State Publication 11th June 2026
  • Final Candidate Slate Publication 15th June 2026
  • Voting Period & Platform Access for Governance Committee & NRO NC / ASO AC elections = at least 5 days before the day of AGMM and PPM = 19 June 2026
  • Announcement of Results of NRO NC / ASO AC election and PDWG Co-Chairs selection = During PPM = 24 June 2026
  • Announcement of Results of Governance Committee election = AGMM Day = 25 June 2026

 

We look forward to hearing from you the soonest possible an5d remain at your disposal for any further information that you may require.

Nomination Committee 2026 - Call for Volunteers

Election 2026

The AFRINIC Board of Directors hereby makes a public call for volunteers from the African Internet community to fill four (4) vacant positions on a Nomination Committee. The Nomination Committee [NomCom 2026]  is being constituted for the purpose of conducting the following elections:

  1. Three (3) Members of the Governance Committee elected by AFRINIC Resource Members in good standing.
  2. Two (2) Members of the NRO NC / ASO AC elected by the AFRINIC community.
  3. PDP Co-Chairs selected through a consensus-based process by the AFRINIC Policy Development Working Group


Additional information on the role and responsibilities of the NomCom 2026, as well as other related information is available in the Election Guidelines 2026.

Interested individuals wishing to serve on the NomCom 2026 are invited to submit an expression of interest, together with a short biography, by email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. by 20 February 2026 at 23:59 UTC. The Board expects members of the NomCom to:

  • Be neutral and impartial;
  • Have no direct or indirect interest in the outcome of the elections;
  • Be trustworthy individuals of the AFRINIC community;
  • Demonstrate a good understanding of the AFRINIC business environment; and
  • Carry out their responsibilities diligently and in good faith.


Please note that NomCom members serve on a voluntary basis and do not receive any remuneration.

AFRINIC staff will provide logistical support to NomCom throughout its mandate. Travel support will also be provided for the Chairperson of the NomCom 2026 to attend the meeting  at which such elections will be held, or other meetings where the attendance of a representative of the NomCom is warranted.

Further information on the meetings will be provided in due course.

We sincerely thank the AFRINIC Members and the community for its usual cooperation and continued support.