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From Aidoghie Paulinus, Abuja
The European Union (EU) will deploy an Electoral Expert Mission (EEM) comprising between two and four independent experts to Nigeria for the 2027 general elections.
Head of the EU Delegation to Nigeria and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Gautier Mignot, disclosed this while clarifying reports concerning the bloc’s planned involvement in the 2027 electoral process.
Mignot said the EU Delegation received a formal invitation from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), dated April 17, 2026, to deploy observers for the 2027 general elections.
According to him, the delegation, in its response dated July 28, 2026, thanked INEC for the invitation and informed the commission that the EU would field an Electoral Expert Mission comprising two to four independent experts, who would be formally accredited as observers by INEC.
He said the decision followed the EU’s annual assessment of electoral missions to partner countries that invite it to observe their elections.
Mignot explained that the type of mission deployed depends on the circumstances of each country and the resources available to the EU.
The EEM, he said, would assess whether the electoral process is conducted in accordance with international, regional and national obligations and commitments on democratic elections to which Nigeria has subscribed.
He added that the mission would submit a final report containing recommendations on how to improve the electoral framework and future electoral processes.
The report, according to him, would be shared with the Nigerian government and could also be released to the wider public if the government agreed.
The clarification came against the backdrop of reports that the EU had declined INEC’s invitation to deploy a full election observation mission for the 2027 polls.
The reports had attributed the alleged decision to the worsening security situation in the country and what was described as hostile treatment of EU observers and officials following the publication of the bloc’s final report on the 2023 general elections.
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Mignot, however, said the two reasons did not appear in the EU’s response to INEC.
“The two alleged reasons mentioned in the press reports do not appear in the letter: these are pure speculations,” he said.
The EU has observed Nigerian elections in previous electoral cycles, including the 2003, 2007, 2011, 2015, 2019 and 2023 general elections.
For the 2023 elections, the EU deployed a sizeable observation mission, with a core team of election experts, long-term observers across the states and short-term observers around election day.
The mission subsequently released its final report in June 2023, containing recommendations on electoral reforms and improvements to Nigeria’s electoral framework.
The report generated reactions from different quarters, including protests at the EU Delegation’s office in Abuja. The protesters criticised aspects of the report and demanded its withdrawal.
The EU has also continued to support democratic governance and the electoral process in Nigeria through its Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria programme.
Mignot said the decision to deploy an EEM for the 2027 elections would not affect the continued implementation of the EU-funded programme, including its support for Nigeria’s electoral process.
He said the decision to conduct the EEM in Nigeria would be further discussed with the relevant Nigerian authorities for its implementation.
The 2027 general elections are scheduled for February, with INEC already undertaking preparations for the exercise.
The commission has previously invited international organisations to observe Nigerian elections, with foreign observers required to obtain accreditation from INEC.
