The EU will send a small team of electoral experts to observe Nigeria’s 2027 general election after rejecting reports that it had declined an invitation from the country’s electoral commission.
In a statement from Abuja on Monday, the European Union Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS said it was “surprised” by media reports claiming it had written to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to turn down an invitation to observe the polls.
Those reports said the EU had cited a worsening security situation and hostile treatment of EU observers and officials after its final report on Nigeria’s 2023 general election.
The delegation said it received a formal invitation from INEC dated 17 April 2026 to deploy observers for the 2027 election.
It replied on 28 July 2026, thanking INEC and stating that the EU would field an Electoral Expert Mission (EEM) made up of two to four independent experts, who would be formally accredited as observers by INEC.
What an Electoral Expert Mission does
An EEM assesses whether an electoral process is conducted in line with international, regional and national commitments on democratic elections, and submits a final report with recommendations, the EU delegation said.
The report is shared with the government and can also be released publicly if the authorities agree.
The delegation said the two reasons cited in the reports — security and alleged hostile treatment — did not appear in its letter to INEC and were “pure speculations”.
Decisions on whether to send election-related missions, and what type, are made each year based on country circumstances and available resources.
The statement was signed by Gautier Mignot, the EU ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS.
