Congressman Riley Moore says Washington will “closely watch” Nigeria’s polls as new legislation targets religious violence and ties security assistance to reforms.

The United States has placed Nigeria’s 2027 general elections firmly on its radar, with Congressman Riley Moore declaring that Washington will be “watching very closely” how the polls are conducted.

Moore, a Republican lawmaker from West Virginia, made the remarks in an interview with NoireTV, stressing that both he and the administration of President Donald Trump are keenly interested in the credibility, transparency, and execution of Nigeria’s next electoral cycle.

“We’re certainly going to be watching these results, how the elections unfold, and how they’re executed,” Moore said. “That’s something the administration and I will be paying very close attention to.”

Beyond election monitoring, the US Congress is advancing legislation that could significantly reshape relations with Nigeria—particularly around religious freedom and security cooperation.

Moore revealed that an appropriations bill currently before the US House contains what he described as “strong and aggressive” provisions affecting Nigeria. The proposed law includes conditions that could restrict US security assistance unless specific benchmarks are met.

“There’s a lot of language in that bill relating to Nigeria—addressing the persecution of Christians, placing conditions on security assistance, and outlining steps the Nigerian government must take,” he said. “This is likely to become law and will be binding on our future relationship.”

Central to these efforts is the Nigeria Religious Freedom and Accountability Act of 2026, co-sponsored by Moore and Congressman Chris Smith. The bill seeks to compel the US State Department to submit regular reports to Congress on religious persecution and mass atrocities in Nigeria, while also evaluating Abuja’s compliance with international obligations.

The legislation further proposes reviews of US security aid, potential sanctions, humanitarian interventions, and the Nigerian government’s actions to protect vulnerable communities and prosecute perpetrators of violence.

In parallel, the US House Appropriations Committee has already approved provisions in its State Department funding bill that tighten oversight on aid to Nigeria. Notably, the measure would withhold 50 percent of allocated funds until the US certifies that Nigeria is taking “effective steps” to curb religious violence, including prosecuting those responsible and facilitating the safe return of displaced persons.

Moore also disclosed ongoing engagement with the Trump administration on Nigeria-related matters, revealing plans to brief the president directly.

“I’ll be meeting President Trump and continuing discussions on these issues. They are very important to him,” he said.

The developments signal growing US scrutiny of Nigeria’s internal security challenges and democratic processes ahead of the 2027 elections, with potential diplomatic and financial consequences depending on how events unfold.