EU Clarifies 2027 Election Mission, Denies Rejecting INEC Invitation
Oru Leonard
The European Union (EU) Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS has dismissed reports claiming that it rejected an invitation from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to observe Nigeria’s 2027 General Election.
The EU Delegation, in a statement signed by EU Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Gautier Mignot, described the reports as inaccurate and said they contained “pure speculations” regarding the reasons behind the EU’s decision on its electoral mission.
According to the Delegation, INEC formally invited the EU on April 17, 2026, to deploy observers for the 2027 General Elections. The EU responded on July 28, 2026, thanking INEC for the invitation and informing the commission that it would deploy an Electoral Expert Mission (EEM).
The mission will comprise between two and four independent experts who will be formally accredited as observers by INEC.
The EU explained that an EEM, like an Electoral Observation Mission, assesses whether an electoral process is conducted in accordance with international, regional and national obligations and commitments on democratic elections.
It added that the EEM would submit a final report containing recommendations on improving Nigeria’s 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 Delegation said.
The EU further clarified that the reasons cited in recent media reports—worsening insecurity across Nigeria and alleged hostile treatment of EU observers and officials following the publication of its 2023 election report—were not contained in its response to INEC.
“These are pure speculations,” the Delegation stated.
According to the EU, decisions on electoral missions to partner countries are made annually, based on the circumstances in individual countries and the resources available. Where the decision is positive, the EU also determines the appropriate type of mission to deploy.
“It is on this basis that the decision to conduct an EEM in Nigeria has been taken,” the Delegation said, adding that the implementation of the mission would be further discussed with relevant Nigerian authorities.
The EU also stressed that the decision to deploy an Electoral Expert Mission would not affect the continued implementation of its EU-funded “Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria” project, including its support for the electoral process.
The Delegation urged the Nigerian media to verify reports concerning EU positions or statements with its Press and Communication Office before publication.
“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,” Mignot said.
The statement was signed by Gautier Mignot, EU Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS.
For further inquiries, the EU Delegation listed Modestus Chukwulaka, Press and Information Officer, as the contact person.
