US watching Nigeria’s January election closely – Officials

US officials have pledged to closely monitor Nigeria’s January presidential election, with a senior State Department official identifying the exercise as a potential trigger for violence amid the country’s security challenges.

The Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Frank Garcia, raised the concern in his prepared testimony before the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa during a congressional hearing on violence in Nigeria on Thursday.

Garcia said the forthcoming election was among the challenges confronting efforts to address insecurity in the country, warning that the exercise could heighten tensions and lead to violence.

“I am realistic about the challenges ahead. For example, Nigeria will hold presidential elections in January, which could spur violence,” he said.

He also identified Nigeria’s overstretched security architecture, limited judicial reach into the Middle Belt and finite resources available to address the crisis as major constraints.

Garcia’s warning came amid concerns over persistent attacks on Christian communities and the Nigerian government’s response following the country’s designation as a Country of Particular Concern by US President Donald Trump on October 31, 2025.

During the hearing, US Congressman Riley Moore called for close scrutiny of the forthcoming election, saying the United States should pay particular attention to developments surrounding the exercise.

“We need to be watching these presidential elections like a hawk. And I’m gonna be watching them, and we all need to be watching them,” Moore said.

Responding, Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labour, Riley Barnes, said the State Department was already monitoring the election through a dedicated team responsible for tracking electoral processes around the world.

He described Nigeria’s election as a high-priority exercise, assuring the lawmakers that the department would follow developments closely.

“I’m glad you raised that. We’re also tracking them closely. We have a team that, in my bureau that focuses on elections, in many spots around the world, especially high-priority ones like this one. So we’re gonna be watching it very closely as well,” Barnes said.

The hearing also examined the continued violence in Nigeria, particularly attacks on Christian communities in the Middle Belt, and the measures being taken by the Nigerian government to protect vulnerable populations.

Garcia said the US was engaging the Nigerian government through a Joint Working Group established after the CPC designation, with discussions focusing on increased security deployments, timely responses to early warnings, accountability for perpetrators and stronger military cooperation.

He said Washington expected Nigeria to demonstrate measurable progress in addressing the violence, adding that the US would continue to engage the country through diplomatic and security cooperation.