A member of the United States House of Representatives, Riley Moore, has said Washington will closely monitor Nigeria’s 2027 general elections, describing the outcome and conduct of the polls as important to the future of US-Nigeria relations.
Moore made the remarks during an interview with NoireTV, a cable and streaming network focused on African diaspora programming, where he disclosed that the US administration would be paying close attention to how the elections are conducted.
Responding to a question on whether the United States would ensure Nigeria’s 2027 elections go beyond being a mere formality, the congressman said the process would be under close scrutiny.
“We’re certainly going to be watching these results and how these elections unfold and how they’re executed. That’s something that myself and the administration are going to be paying very close attention to,” Moore said.
The lawmaker also revealed that the US Congress is considering legislation that could significantly affect relations with Nigeria, particularly regarding religious freedom and American security assistance.
Moore, who is a co-sponsor of the Nigeria Religious Freedom and Accountability Act of 2026, said lawmakers are working on Representative Chris Smith’s bill while also advancing a broader appropriations measure that contains provisions relating to Nigeria.
According to him, the proposed legislation includes conditions tied to US security assistance and addresses concerns over the persecution of Christians and ongoing violence in parts of Nigeria.
“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 more attention to is the Appropriations Bill that we’re going to have on the floor today, which some call the State Foreign Operations Bill or the National Security and State Department Related Programs Bill,” he said.
Moore explained that the bill contains “strong and aggressive language” that could shape future US engagement with Nigeria if signed into law.
“There’s a lot of language that is put in that bill that relates to Nigeria, the persecution of Christians, restrictions on security assistance to the government of Nigeria, and steps that they have to take.
“That bill is likely to become law. We’re about to hopefully pass that bill today. So there’s some pretty strong aggressive language in that bill that’s going to be binding as it relates to our relationship with Nigeria moving forward,” he added.
The congressman further disclosed that he would continue discussions with US President Donald Trump on developments in Nigeria, describing the issue as one of significant importance to the American administration.
Moore’s comments come amid growing attention in Washington over Nigeria’s security situation and preparations for the 2027 elections.