Mr. Riley Moore, a member of the United States House of Representatives has revealed that the administration of President Donald Trump will closely monitor the conduct of Nigeria’s 2027 general elections.
Hesaid the electoral process in Nigeria would remain a key issue for the US government, adding that Washington would pay close attention to how the elections are conducted.
He made the comments during an interview with NoireTV.
Responding to a question on whether the United States could do more to support 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 lawmaker also revealed that the US House of Representatives was considering an appropriations bill containing provisions affecting Nigeria, particularly in the areas of religious freedom and security assistance.
Speaking on the proposed legislation, Moore said: “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.”
According to him, the legislation includes far-reaching provisions that could shape future relations between the United States and Nigeria.
“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 further stated that he would continue discussions with the Trump administration on matters relating to Nigeria, noting that he was scheduled to meet with 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.
The congressman is a co-sponsor of the Nigeria Religious Freedom and Accountability Act of 2026, a bill introduced alongside Congressman Chris Smith in February.
The proposed legislation seeks to compel the US Secretary of State to submit periodic reports to Congress detailing efforts to address religious persecution and mass atrocities in Nigeria.
It also proposes regular assessments of Nigeria’s adherence to international religious freedom obligations, the status of US security assistance and sanctions, humanitarian interventions, and measures taken by the Nigerian government to safeguard vulnerable communities and prosecute those responsible for attacks.
In April 2026, the US House Appropriations Committee approved provisions in its annual State Department funding bill that introduced stricter oversight and conditions for financial assistance to Nigeria.
The measure, which has been forwarded to Congress for consideration, proposes withholding 50 per cent of foreign assistance allocated to Nigeria until the US certifies that the Nigerian government is taking “effective steps” to curb religious violence.
The bill also requires that US funding supports investigations and prosecutions of violence linked to Fulani militia groups, while calling on the Nigerian government to facilitate the safe return of internally displaced persons
