EU Delegation Clarifies Position On 2027 Election Observation In Nigeria

The European Union Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS has described as inaccurate recent press reports claiming it declined an invitation to observe the 2027 General Election in Nigeria.

The reports published Monday alleged that the EU had sent a letter to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, citing the worsening security situation and the alleged hostile treatment of EU observers and officials after the publication of its final report on the 2023 general election as reasons for declining.

In a statement, the EU Delegation confirmed it received a formal invitation from INEC, dated 17 April 2026, to deploy observers for the 2027 General Elections.

In its response dated 28 July 2026, the Delegation thanked INEC for the invitation and informed that the EU will field an Electoral Expert Mission, EEM, composed of two to four independent experts. The experts will be formally accredited as observers with INEC.

As stated in the letter: “An EEM, like an Electoral Observation Mission, assesses whether the electoral process is conducted in line with international, regional and national obligations and commitments on the conduct of democratic elections to which the country has subscribed.

“The EEM submits a final report with recommendations on how to improve the electoral framework and future electoral processes, the report will be shared with the government, and if they agree, it can also be released to the wider public.”

The EU Delegation stressed that the two reasons cited in the press reports do not appear in its letter and described them as “pure speculations.”

The Delegation explained that the European Union decides every year on electoral missions to partner countries that issue invitations, and determines the type of mission to send based on individual country situations and available resources.

“On this basis, the decision to conduct an EEM in Nigeria has been taken and will be further consulted with the relevant Nigerian authorities for its implementation,” the statement said.

The EU also noted that the decision does not affect the continuation of the EU-funded project “Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria,” including its component on support to the electoral process.

The EU Delegation urged members of the media to verify information with its press and communication office before publication.

It stated: “The EU Delegation respectfully reminds members of the esteemed media community that, to avoid issuing such misleading information about positions or statements of the EU, they can simply check their accuracy with the press and communication office of the EU Delegation.”