The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged “all 19 presidential candidates announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to promptly publish details of their assets and liabilities, those of their spouses and, where applicable, their unmarried children under 18, and disclose the legitimate sources of their significant assets ahead of the 2027 presidential election.” SERAP, in a statement on Sunday signed by its deputy director, Kolawole Oluwadare, also called on “all presidential candidates to publicly and unequivocally reject vote-buying and electoral bribery before and during the elections, and to instruct their parties, campaign organisations, agents and supporters not to offer or distribute money, gifts or other material inducements in exchange for votes.” The presidential candidates are President Bola Tinubu (APC), Atiku Abubakar (ADC), Peter Obi (NDC), Senator Sandy Onor (PDP), Omoyele Sowore (AAC), Donald Duke (PRP), Okwori Ada Elizabeth Frederick (NDP), Chukwu Anita Zugwai (YPP), Rufai Adekunle Omoaje (AA), and Adenuga Sunday (Boot Party). Others are Memeh Samuel (DLA), Nwanyanwu Daniel Danerechukwu (ZLP), Okereke Sunday Chibuzor (LP), Okereke Iken Esther (NRM), Abbas-Bin Aliyu (ADP), Dikwa Suleiman Mohammed (NNPP), Adebayo Adewole Ebenezer (SDP), Seyi Makinde (APM), and Yusuf Kabiru (APP). In an open letter to the candidates dated 8 August 2026 and signed by SERAP Deputy Director Kolawole Oluwadare, the organisation urged “the candidates to go beyond the bare legal minimum and voluntarily embrace higher standards of transparency, accountability and integrity in seeking Nigeria’s highest elected office.” SERAP said: “Candidates asking Nigerians to entrust them with enormous constitutional powers over public finances, natural resources, appointments and security institutions should be willing, before asking for their votes, to demonstrate that their personal financial affairs can withstand reasonable public scrutiny.” According to SERAP: “Nigeria’s democracy belongs to its citizens. Votes must not be bought. Public office must not be treated as private property. Those seeking the highest public office must be willing to meet the highest standards of transparency, accountability and integrity.” The letter, read in part: “Nigerians should not be asked to choose between candidates on the basis of who can spend the most money. They should be able to choose on the basis of policies, competence, integrity, character and their vision for Nigeria.” “Voluntary pre-election disclosure would enable voters to assess potential conflicts of interest and significant sources of wealth, strengthen public confidence in the electoral process, and establish a baseline against which future changes in assets could be assessed if a candidate is elected.” “The 2027 presidential election presents an opportunity for political leaders to show that public office is a public trust. Candidates who voluntarily disclose their assets and reject vote-buying can show that they are prepared to uphold the transparency and accountability they promise to deliver if elected.” “The Nigerian Constitution 1999 (as amended) and international human rights standards protect free and informed electoral choice, making transparency essential to meaningful democratic participation and providing a strong basis for candidates seeking the highest public office to voluntarily disclose relevant financial information, particularly where corruption and vote-buying threaten electoral integrity.” “Although the Nigerian Constitution does not expressly require presidential candidates to publish their asset declarations before an election, the Constitution, read as a whole, embodies principles of transparency, accountability, integrity in public office and meaningful participation in government.” “The Constitution already requires elected public officers, including the President, to declare their assets and liabilities.” “Paragraph 11 of Part I of the Fifth Schedule requires public officers to submit declarations of their properties, assets and liabilities, including those of unmarried children under 18, while section 140(1) requires a person elected President to make the prescribed declaration before assuming the functions of office.” “Article 25 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights protects citizens’ rights to participate in public affairs and to vote and be elected in genuine periodic elections. These rights cannot be meaningfully exercised where voters are denied relevant information necessary to scrutinise those seeking to govern them.” “We are also concerned about the persistent use of money, gifts and other inducements to influence voters. Vote-buying directly undermines the constitutional principle that sovereignty belongs to the people.”
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