A member of the United States House of Representatives, Riley Moore, has warned that the United States will closely monitor Nigeria’s 2027 general elections, saying both the US Congress and President Donald Trump’s administration are paying keen attention to how the polls are conducted.
Moore disclosed this during an interview with NoireTV, a cable and streaming platform focused on African diaspora audiences, published early Monday.
Responding to a question on whether the United States would ensure that Nigeria’s 2027 elections go beyond being “just a formality,” the American lawmaker said Washington would be watching every stage of the electoral process.
“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 congressman also revealed that the US House of Representatives is considering legislative measures that could significantly affect diplomatic and security relations with Nigeria, particularly over concerns about religious freedom and the country’s human rights record.
According to him, lawmakers are advancing both the Nigeria Religious Freedom and Accountability Act of 2026 and a broader appropriations legislation containing strict conditions tied to US assistance to 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 proposed legislation contains far-reaching provisions concerning Nigeria’s treatment of religious minorities and future American security support.
“There’s a lot of language that is put on that bill 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.
“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 lawmaker further disclosed that he intends to continue engaging President Donald Trump on developments in Nigeria, describing the issue as one of significant importance to the US President.
Moore is a co-sponsor of the Nigeria Religious Freedom and Accountability Act of 2026, introduced in February alongside Congressman Chris Smith.
The proposed appropriations legislation also seeks to place conditions on future US financial and security assistance to Nigeria until the Federal Government demonstrates measurable progress in addressing violent attacks and insecurity in parts of the country.
His comments come as political activities ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 general elections continue to gather momentum, with the conduct of the polls already drawing increasing international attention.
