Congressman Riley Moore said the Trump administration will monitor how Nigeria runs its 2027 general elections. The Republican from West Virginia made the comments during an interview with NoireTV published on Sunday.
Moore stressed that Washington intends to scrutinise the electoral process closely. "We're certainly going to be watching these results and how these elections unfold and how they're executed," he told the outlet.
The congressman revealed that the US House is considering an appropriations bill with major implications for Nigeria. He noted the legislation contains provisions tied to religious freedom and American security assistance to the country.
Moore said he co-sponsored a measure introduced by Congressman Chris Smith. He emphasised, however, that the appropriations bill deserved more attention from observers.
"There's a lot of language that I put on that bill that relates to Nigeria and the persecution of Christians and restrictions on security assistance to the government of Nigeria," he explained. The bill includes steps Nigeria must take to maintain good relations with the US, he added.
According to Moore, the appropriations measure will likely become law. "That bill's likely to become law.
We're about to, hopefully, pass that here today," he said.
He described the language in the bill as "pretty strong and aggressive" and said it will guide future American engagement with Nigeria. The provisions will be binding on the bilateral relationship going forward, Moore stressed.
The congressman indicated he continues working with the Trump administration on Nigeria-related issues. He revealed he planned to meet President Trump for dinner that evening.
"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," Moore said.
He added that discussions about Nigeria remain important to the president.
Moore is a co-sponsor of the Nigeria Religious Freedom and Accountability Act of 2026, which he introduced with Congressman Chris Smith in February. The proposed legislation would compel the US Secretary of State to submit regular reports to Congress about efforts to address religious persecution and mass atrocities in Nigeria.
The bill demands assessments of Nigeria's compliance with international religious freedom obligations. It also requires reviews of American security assistance and sanctions, evaluations of humanitarian support, and evaluations of steps taken by Nigerian authorities to protect vulnerable communities.
The measure calls for examination of prosecutions related to attacks on religious communities. If enacted, the law would strengthen American oversight of Nigeria's human rights record.
