By Peter Omopo
The European Union Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS has denied reports that it rejected an invitation from the Independent National Electoral Commission to observe Nigeria’s 2027 general elections.
The reports had claimed that the EU would not deploy an election observation mission, allegedly because of worsening insecurity in Nigeria and concerns over the treatment of its observers and officials following its 2023 election observation mission.
However, EU Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Gautier Mignot, dismissed the reports on Monday, describing them as inaccurate and clarifying that the bloc had accepted INEC’s invitation.
Mignot said the EU would deploy an Electoral Expert Mission rather than a conventional Election Observation Mission for the 2027 elections.
According to the delegation, INEC formally invited the EU to deploy observers through a letter dated April 17, 2026, to which it responded on July 28.
The EU said its response informed INEC that it would deploy an EEM comprising between two and four independent experts, who would be formally accredited as observers by the electoral commission.
“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 EU said.
The delegation explained that the mission would produce a final report containing recommendations on improving Nigeria’s electoral framework and future electoral processes.
It added that the report would be shared with the Nigerian Government and could subsequently be made available to the wider public with the government’s agreement.
The EU also rejected claims that insecurity and alleged hostile treatment of its officials were responsible for the decision to deploy an expert mission instead of a conventional observation mission.
“The two alleged reasons mentioned in the press reports do not appear in the letter: these are pure speculations,” the delegation said.
The EU explained that it makes annual decisions on the type of electoral missions to deploy to partner countries that extend invitations, taking into account the circumstances of each country and the resources available.
“It is on this basis that the decision to conduct an EEM in Nigeria has been taken,” it said.
The delegation added that discussions with relevant Nigerian authorities would continue regarding the implementation of the mission.
It further stressed that the decision would not affect the EU’s broader support for Nigeria’s democratic development, including its funding of the “Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria” project.
Meanwhile, the Peoples Democratic Party reacted to the earlier reports alleging that the EU had pulled out of observing the 2027 elections.
In a statement issued on Monday, the PDP National Publicity Secretary of its Interim National Working Committee, Ini Ememobong, described the reported development as “another confirmation” of concerns among local and international stakeholders over the credibility of the forthcoming elections.
The opposition party accused the government of taking measures since 2023 which it claimed were designed to weaken the opposition and make the 2027 elections “uncontested in any meaningful sense.”
The PDP alleged the use of state-funded crises within opposition parties, coercion and inducement of opposition governors and lawmakers, as well as the alleged persecution and intimidation of opposition figures.
The party also criticised what it described as the “weaponisation of inflammatory electoral rhetoric,” citing previous comments attributed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu concerning the 2027 elections.
The PDP described the reported change in the EU’s observation arrangement as one of several alleged “votes of no confidence” by strategic stakeholders in election management under the All Progressives Congress-led administration.
“When confidence in the electoral process erodes, so does the credibility of elections and, ultimately, democracy itself,” the party said.
The opposition party pledged to work with other political parties, civil society organisations and Nigerians to demand transparency, accountability and credibility throughout the electoral process.
The EU, meanwhile, urged members of the media to verify information concerning its positions directly with its press and communication office to avoid the circulation of misleading reports.
