By Sabiu Abdullahi
A member of the United States Congress, Riley Moore, has said the administration of President Donald Trump will closely observe Nigeria’s 2027 general elections.
Moore, a Republican lawmaker from West Virginia, stated this during an interview with NoireTV, which was later shared on the platform’s social media pages on Sunday.
Speaking on the credibility of Nigeria’s next elections, the congressman said Washington would pay serious attention to how the exercise is conducted.
“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,” he said.
The lawmaker also revealed that the US House of Representatives was working on an appropriations bill that contains provisions concerning Nigeria. He said the proposed legislation focuses on issues surrounding 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 stated.
According to him, the bill includes strong measures that could shape future relations between both countries.
“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 disclosed that he would continue discussions with the Trump administration on matters relating to Nigeria. He also said he was expected to meet 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.
Moore is also a co-sponsor of the Nigeria Religious Freedom and Accountability Act of 2026. The bill was introduced in February alongside Congressman Chris Smith.
The proposed legislation seeks to compel the US Secretary of State to provide regular reports to Congress on efforts aimed at addressing religious persecution and mass killings in Nigeria.
The bill also proposes reviews of Nigeria’s compliance with international religious freedom obligations. It covers US security support, sanctions, humanitarian assistance, and steps taken by the Nigerian government to protect vulnerable communities and prosecute attackers.
In April 2026, the US House Appropriations Committee approved provisions in its annual State Department funding bill that introduced stricter conditions for financial support to Nigeria.
The proposal, which has been forwarded to Congress, states that half of the funds allocated to Nigeria under foreign assistance programmes would remain withheld until the Nigerian government is certified to be taking “effective steps” to tackle religious violence.
The bill also demands support for investigations and prosecution of violence linked to Fulani militia groups. It further requires measures that would ensure the safe return of displaced persons.
