The administration of United States President Donald Trump will closely observe how Nigeria conducts its 2027 general elections, according to U.S. Congressman Riley Moore.
Moore, a Republican representing West Virginia, said Washington would be monitoring the electoral process and its outcome with keen interest. He made the remarks during an interview with NoireTV, which was shared on the platform’s social media channels on Sunday.
Responding to a question on whether the United States could provide greater support for 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.”
Beyond the elections, the congressman disclosed that the U.S. House of Representatives was considering an appropriations bill containing measures related to Nigeria, particularly on religious freedom and American security assistance.
“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 explained that the proposed legislation includes provisions that could significantly shape future U.S.-Nigeria relations.
“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 said he intends to continue discussions with the Trump administration on issues concerning Nigeria, noting that he was scheduled to meet the U.S. president later that day.
“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.
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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 lawmaker is a co-sponsor of the Nigeria Religious Freedom and Accountability Act of 2026, introduced in February alongside Congressman Chris Smith.
The proposed bill would require the U.S. Secretary of State to regularly submit reports to Congress detailing efforts to address religious persecution and mass atrocities in Nigeria.
It also calls for periodic assessments of Nigeria’s compliance with international religious freedom commitments, reviews of U.S. security assistance and sanctions, humanitarian interventions, and measures taken by Nigerian authorities to safeguard vulnerable communities and prosecute those responsible for violent attacks.
Earlier this year, the U.S. House Appropriations Committee approved provisions in its 2026 State Department funding bill that place stricter conditions on financial assistance to Nigeria before forwarding it to Congress for consideration.
Under the proposal, half of the foreign assistance allocated to Nigeria would be withheld until the U.S. certifies that the Nigerian government is taking “effective steps” to tackle religious violence.
The bill also requires that assistance support investigations and prosecutions of violence linked to Fulani militia groups, while ensuring the safe return of displaced persons.