EU to Send experts to monitor 2027 General Election in Nigeria

By Saheed Olatunji, Reporter

European Union (EU) Delegation to Nigeria has announced that it will dispatch an Electoral Expert Mission (EEM) made up of two to four independent experts to monitor next year’s general election in Nigeria.

In the statement by Modestus Chukwulaka yesterday, the EU Delegation debunked reports that it declined an invitation by the Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC) to observe the elections that the experts would be accredited by the electoral umpire.

There were media reports that the union turned down the invitation because of insecurity and alleged hostile treatment of its observers in previous polls.

In the statement, Chukwulaka said, the EU Delegation was surprised by the ‘’inaccurate information’’ and the reasons mentioned in the reports.

Clarifying the correspondence between it and INEC, the EU Delegation said contrary to the reports, it accepted the invitation and had since resolved to send a team to Nigeria. ’

The statement reads: “The European Union(EU) Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS have noted with surprise, inaccurate press reports published today(yesterday) stating that it had sent a letter to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declining an invitation to observe the 2027 polls in Nigeria and citing in the correspondence two reasons for this decision: the worsening security situation across the country and the hostile treatment of its observers and officials after the publication of its final report on the 2023 general election.

“The EU Delegation confirms that it received a formal invitation (not a request) from the INEC, dated 17 April 2026, to deploy observers for the 2027 General Elections. In its response dated 28 July 2026, this Delegation thanked the INEC for its kind invitation and informed that the EU will field an Electoral Expert Mission (EEM), composed of two to four independent experts, who will formally be accredited as observers with the INEC.”

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