US to keep a close eye on Nigeria's 2027 elections, Congressman

The United States, under President Donald Trump, will closely watch Nigeria’s general elections in 2027. US Congressman Riley Moore shared this information, saying the election conduct is an issue that Washington will be paying close attention to.

Moore, a Republican from West Virginia, spoke to NoireTV in an interview shared on social media on Sunday. When asked about the US role in supporting credible elections in Nigeria, Moore said, "What I’d say is that we’re certainly going to be watching these results and how these elections unfold and how they’re executed. And that’s something that myself and the administration are going to be paying very close attention to."

The Congressman also mentioned that the US House of Representatives is looking at an appropriations bill that includes issues related to Nigeria. This includes topics like religious freedom and US security help.

"We’re working on Chris (Smith)’s bill, which obviously I’m a co-sponsor of that bill. But I’d say, more importantly, what people need to pay attention to is the appropriations bill that we’re going to have on the floor today," Moore said.

He added that the new bill has strong language about Nigeria’s ties with the United States. He said, "There’s a lot of language that I put on that bill that’s inside of it that relates to Nigeria and the persecution of Christians and restrictions on security assistance to the government of Nigeria, and steps that they have to take."

Moore believes this bill is likely to become law soon. He said, "That bill’s likely to become law. We’re about to, hopefully, pass that here today. And so there’s some pretty strong and aggressive language in that bill that’s going to be binding as it relates to our relationship to Nigeria moving forward."

Moore plans to keep discussing Nigeria-related topics with the Trump administration. He also mentioned he would meet the US president. "I continue to work with the administration on next steps that we’re going to take. I’m actually going to see President Trump tonight. I’ll be having dinner with him and some other members, so yeah, I continue to talk to him about these issues, and it’s very important to him," he said.

Moore is a co-sponsor of the Nigeria Religious Freedom and Accountability Act of 2026. He introduced this alongside Congressman Chris Smith in February. This proposed law would require the US Secretary of State to give regular updates to Congress on efforts to tackle religious persecution and mass violence in Nigeria.

The Smith-Moore bill suggests that there should be assessments on Nigeria’s compliance with international religious freedom rules, US security help, sanctions, humanitarian aid, and actions taken by the Nigerian government to protect vulnerable groups and punish those who commit violence.

PUNCH Online also reported that the US House Appropriations Committee passed provisions in its State Department funding bill in April 2026. This imposes stricter control and conditions on financial support to Nigeria.

The bill sent to Congress states that half of the funds meant for Nigeria under foreign assistance will be held back until the government shows it is making effective efforts to reduce religious violence. It also says that funds must aid investigations and prosecutions of violence by Fulani militia groups. The bill further states that the government needs to help displaced people return safely.