A Nigerian federal lawmaker, Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere, has called on United States president Donald Trump and American authorities to intervene against what he described as plans to undermine Nigeria’s 2027 general elections, while also publicly backing Washington’s hard-line stance against Venezuela’s former president, Nicolás Maduro.

Ugochinyere, who represents the Ideato North and South Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, made the remarks on Wednesday while addressing a large crowd of supporters at an event marking his defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the Action Peoples Party (APP). He described Maduro as an “illegitimate” leader and praised decisive international action against figures he said were hostile to democratic norms.

Turning to domestic politics, the lawmaker alleged that Imo State had become the centre of elaborate schemes aimed at rigging future elections, warning that Nigeria’s democracy was under serious threat if the plans were not exposed and halted.

He accused unnamed actors of plotting to manipulate the voters’ register, bypass the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and upload fabricated results to the Independent National Electoral Commission’s Result Viewing portal, IReV. BVAS is designed to verify voters biometrically through fingerprints and facial recognition and to transmit polling unit results electronically in a bid to strengthen transparency and public confidence.

According to Ugochinyere, any attempt to sidestep the technology would fatally damage the credibility of elections. He argued that procedural lapses and weak enforcement could render technological safeguards ineffective against entrenched political interests.

In a direct appeal to the United States, he urged Trump to deploy American agencies to closely monitor electoral preparations in Imo State ahead of 2027. “This time around, we are not calling for a visa ban, grant them visas to travel abroad, and capture them there so they can spend the remainder of their lives in prison,” he said, drawing loud reactions from supporters.

Ugochinyere framed his warning within a broader regional and global context, stressing Nigeria’s strategic importance as Africa’s most populous nation and largest economy. He argued that flawed elections could deepen instability, discourage investment and worsen insecurity, with consequences that extend beyond Nigeria’s borders.

He warned that democratic failure could accelerate migration driven by insecurity, unemployment and political frustration, placing additional strain on neighbouring countries and European states already grappling with complex migration pressures.

“As Nigeria approaches the 2027 general elections, domestic actors from civil society, political parties and international observers should focus on ensuring electoral credibility,” Ugochinyere said. “Strengthening BVAS deployment, enhancing INEC’s operational capacities, and fostering independent election observation are necessary elements of safeguarding democracy.”

His comments come amid renewed debate over electoral reforms and international scrutiny of Nigeria’s democratic processes as political alignments shift ahead of the next general elections.