A member of the United States House of Representatives, Riley Moore, has said the administration of President Donald Trump will closely observe Nigeria’s 2027 general elections, describing the conduct of the polls as an important issue in Washington’s engagement with Africa’s most populous nation.
Moore, a Republican lawmaker representing West Virginia, disclosed this during an interview with NoireTV, which was published on the platform’s social media channels on Sunday.
Responding to a question on whether the United States could play a greater role in supporting credible elections in Nigeria, the congressman said both he and the Trump administration would be monitoring the electoral process closely.
“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.”
Beyond the elections, Moore revealed that the US Congress is considering legislation that could significantly influence future relations between Washington and Abuja, particularly in the areas of religious freedom and security cooperation.
He said lawmakers were advancing a legislative proposal sponsored by Congressman Chris Smith, while also working on a broader appropriations bill containing provisions affecting 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 attention to is the appropriations bill that we’re going to have on the floor today,” Moore said.
According to him, the appropriations measure includes far-reaching provisions concerning Nigeria, particularly regarding religious freedom and future US security assistance.
“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.
“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,” he added.
Moore also indicated that he would continue discussing developments in Nigeria directly with President Trump and senior members of the administration, stressing that the issues remain a priority for the White House.
“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.
The congressman is a co-sponsor of the Nigeria Religious Freedom and Accountability Act of 2026, a bill introduced in February alongside Congressman Chris Smith.
If enacted, the legislation would require the US Secretary of State to submit periodic reports to Congress detailing efforts to address religious persecution and mass atrocities in Nigeria.
The proposed measure also seeks regular assessments of Nigeria’s compliance with international religious freedom obligations, reviews of US security assistance, sanctions and humanitarian interventions, as well as evaluations of steps taken by Nigerian authorities to protect vulnerable communities and prosecute those responsible for violent attacks.
Earlier this year, the US House Appropriations Committee approved provisions in its annual State Department funding bill imposing stricter conditions on portions of American assistance to Nigeria.
Under the proposal, half of the funds allocated to Nigeria under specified foreign assistance programmes would be withheld until the US government certifies that Nigerian authorities are taking what the legislation describes as “effective steps” to address religious violence.
The bill also requires that US assistance supports investigations and prosecutions related to attacks allegedly carried out by Fulani militia groups and calls on the Nigerian government to facilitate the safe return of internally displaced persons affected by violence.
The proposed measures remain part of the legislative process in the United States and would require approval before becoming law.
(Ripples)