US lawmaker who made Christian genocide claim against Nigeria re-elected to Congress

U.S. Congressman Riley Moore

Republican Congressman Riley Moore, who made repeated claims of Christian genocide in Nigeria, won re-election to the US House of Representatives in the Midterms.

Mr Moore defeated Democratic Party candidate Ace Parsi to retain his seat as the representative for West Virginia’s 2nd District.

He was one of the Republican candidates who won their seats amid the Democrats’ sweeping victory in the elections.

The poll was fiercely contested, with Mr Moore winning his seat with 59.4 per cent of the total votes.

“It’s been an honor of my life to represent West Virginia’s Second Congressional District. I’m proud of the work I’ve done to advance critical infrastructure investments, strengthen our aerospace and defense industries, and bring new economic opportunities and good-paying jobs to West Virginia.

“I’ll never stop fighting for West Virginians!” he wrote on X after his victory.

PREMIUM TIMES reports that amid US President Donald Trump’s antagonism towards Nigeria, the Republican lawmaker repeatedly criticised the Nigerian government for not doing enough to protect the country’s Christians.

He repeatedly claimed there was a Christian genocide in the country and insisted on his claims despite the Nigerian government denying it.

The government, along with local and international organisations, explained that Nigeria’s insecurity was caused by several factors and was not targeted at any particular group.

Mr Moore, first elected to the House in 2024, was also part of the US congressional delegation that visited Nigeria to discuss security in the West African nation.

Mr Moore is among the sponsors of the Nigeria Religious Freedom and Accountability Act of 2026, a bill introduced in February alongside Congressman Chris Smith.

If enacted, the legislation would require the US Secretary of State to regularly submit reports to Congress detailing efforts to address religious persecution and mass atrocities in Nigeria.

He also championed the National Security, Department of State and Related Programs Appropriations Act for 2027, which sought to, among others, cut foreign assistance to Nigeria over alleged targeted violence against Christians and other vulnerable communities.

He had earlier said the US will closely monitor Nigeria’s 2027 general election and pay particular attention to the credibility and conduct of the electoral process.

Democrats won Congress in the midterms and now have the capacity to hamstring Mr Trump’s foreign policy misadventures when the new Congress is sworn in in January 2027.

However, it remains to be seen how the changes in the US political landscape will affect Washington’s relationship with Nigeria and Africa as a whole.