The European Union (EU) Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS has accepted an invitation from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to observe the 2027 general elections.

EU Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Gautier Mignot, disclosed this in a statement issued on Monday in Abuja, dismissing reports that the bloc had rejected INEC’s invitation to monitor the polls.

Mignot said INEC formally invited the EU on April 17, 2026, while the EU responded to the invitation on July 28, 2026.

“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,” Mignot said.

He explained that the Electoral Expert Mission would assess Nigeria’s electoral process against international, regional and national obligations and commitments relating to democratic elections.

According to him, the mission would also produce a final report containing recommendations for improving Nigeria’s electoral framework and future elections.

“The report will be shared with the government, and if they agree, it can also be released to the wider public,” he said.

Mignot rejected reports that the EU’s decision to deploy a smaller Electoral Expert Mission, rather than a larger observation mission, was influenced by Nigeria’s worsening security situation or alleged hostile treatment of EU observers and officials following the publication of its final report on the 2023 general elections.

“The EU Delegation further underlines that the two alleged reasons mentioned in the press reports do not appear in the letter: these are pure speculations,” he said.

The ambassador explained that the EU reviews potential electoral missions to partner countries annually, taking into account the circumstances of each country and the resources available before determining whether to deploy a mission and the appropriate format.

He said the decision to deploy an Electoral Expert Mission in Nigeria was reached on that basis, adding that consultations with relevant Nigerian authorities would continue ahead of the 2027 elections.

Mignot also clarified that the decision would not affect the EU-funded Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria project or its ongoing support for the country’s electoral process.