US Congress to monitor Nigeria’s 2027 general election amid rigging concerns

Members of the United States Congress have vowed to closely monitor Nigeria’s January 2027 presidential election, amid concerns over insecurity and the need for a credible electoral process.

The lawmakers made the commitment during a public hearing on Nigeria organised by the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, where they assessed the Nigeria Government’s efforts to protect vulnerable communities and address violence, particularly in the Middle Belt.

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Republican Congressman Riley Moore said the US Congress must pay close attention to the election to ensure that Nigerians were allowed to freely choose their leaders.

“We need to be watching these presidential elections like a hawk, and I’m going to be watching them, and we all need to be watching them,” Moore said.

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The hearing, titled “One Year Later: Assessing Nigeria’s Efforts to Protect Christians and Secure the Middle Belt,” also examined the government’s response to attacks, prosecution of perpetrators and possible measures the US could take to address the security crisis.

Also speaking at the hearing, Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Frank Garcia, acknowledged that progress in addressing Nigeria’s security challenges had been inadequate despite engagements between both countries.

“Progress has not been adequate,” Garcia said, adding that this did not mean Nigeria was dismissing the concerns or failing to take action, but that the measures taken had yet to produce the desired impact.

He said the US expected more concrete results from bilateral engagements, particularly in protecting vulnerable communities, improving responses to early warnings of attacks and ensuring accountability for perpetrators.

Garcia disclosed that the US-Nigeria Joint Working Group, established following Nigeria’s designation as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) in October 2025, had held meetings in Abuja in January and Washington in August 2026.

He said the US had also provided training and equipment to Nigerian police units, expanded biometric information-sharing and worked with Nigerian financial institutions to disrupt terrorist financing networks.

The hearing, chaired by Congressman Chris Smith, is the latest congressional engagement on Nigeria’s security situation following the country’s redesignation as a CPC by US President Donald Trump.

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