Daud Olatunji
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project has challenged the 19 presidential candidates announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission to publicly declare their assets and liabilities ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
SERAP also demanded that the candidates disclose the legitimate sources of their significant wealth and make binding public commitments against vote-buying, arguing that Nigerians should choose their next president based on competence, policies and integrity rather than financial muscle.
The organisation made the demands in an open letter dated August 8, 2026, signed by its Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare.
Those named in the letter include President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress; Atiku Abubakar of the African Democratic Congress; Peter Obi of the New Democratic Congress; Senator Sandy Onor of the Peoples Democratic Party; Omoyele Sowore of the African Action Congress; Donald Duke of the Peoples Redemption Party; and Okwori Ada Elizabeth Frederick of the National Democratic Party.
Others are Chukwu Anita Zugwai of the Young Progressives Party; Rufai Adekunle Omoaje of the Action Alliance; Adenuga Sunday of the Boot Party; Memeh Samuel of the Democratic Leadership Alliance; Nwanyanwu Daniel Danerechukwu of the Zenith Labour Party; Okereke Sunday Chibuzor of the Labour Party; Okereke Iken Esther of the National Rescue Movement; Abbas-Bin Aliyu of the Action Democratic Party; Dikwa Suleiman Mohammed of the New Nigeria Peoples Party; Adebayo Adewole Ebenezer of the Social Democratic Party; Seyi Makinde of the Allied Peoples Movement; and Yusuf Kabiru of the Allied Peoples Party.
SERAP said candidates seeking the mandate to control public finances, natural resources, appointments and security institutions should be prepared to subject their financial affairs to reasonable public scrutiny.
It urged the candidates to go beyond the minimum requirements of the law by voluntarily publishing details of their assets and liabilities, including relevant declarations involving their spouses and unmarried children below 18 years.
The organisation also demanded disclosure of the legitimate sources of significant assets, including business interests, investments, real estate, substantial gifts and inheritances, while stressing that legitimate personal security and privacy concerns should be protected.
According to SERAP, such disclosure would enable voters to identify potential conflicts of interest and establish a baseline against which any significant increase in the wealth of an elected president could subsequently be assessed.
The organisation said, “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.”
Vote-buying threat
SERAP further demanded that the presidential candidates publicly reject vote-buying and electoral bribery and instruct their parties, campaign organisations, agents and supporters not to distribute money, food, gifts, transportation benefits or other material inducements in exchange for votes.
It also urged the candidates to report credible allegations of vote-buying involving their campaign organisations to the appropriate authorities.
SERAP said the persistent use of money and other inducements to influence voters posed a serious threat to the credibility of elections, particularly in an environment of widespread economic hardship.
It argued that vote-buying exploits the vulnerability of poor voters and risks transforming a constitutional political right into a financial transaction.
The organisation said the practice was inconsistent with the constitutional principle that sovereignty belongs to the people.
It cited Section 14(2)(a) of the 1999 Constitution, which provides that sovereignty belongs to the people of Nigeria, and Section 125 of the Electoral Act 2026, which SERAP said criminalises bribery and related conduct aimed at procuring the return of a candidate or the vote of an elector.
“An election in which citizens’ votes are purchased, coerced or otherwise financially induced cannot genuinely reflect the free political will of the Nigerian people,” the organisation said.
SERAP noted that although the Constitution does not expressly require presidential candidates to publicly disclose their assets before an election, it contains provisions establishing transparency, accountability and integrity as important principles of public office.
It cited Paragraph 11 of Part I of the Fifth Schedule, which requires public officers to declare their properties, assets and liabilities, including those of unmarried children below 18.
The organisation also referred to Section 140(1), which requires a person elected President to make the prescribed declaration before assuming the functions of office.
SERAP argued that candidates should not wait until after winning elections before demonstrating their commitment to transparency.
It said voluntary pre-election disclosure would allow Nigerians to scrutinise the financial backgrounds of those seeking the nation’s highest political office and help identify potential conflicts of interest before votes are cast.
The organisation also asked candidates who emerge victorious to commit to updating their declarations and explaining any material increase in their wealth while in office.
Beyond asset declarations, SERAP called on the 19 candidates to sign and publish a public integrity pledge committing themselves, their political parties and campaign organisations to peaceful, transparent, accountable and corruption-free elections.
It said the 2027 presidential election provided an opportunity for politicians to demonstrate that public office was a public trust rather than an avenue for private enrichment.
SERAP said: “The choice before Nigerians in 2027 should be a choice based on ideas, policies, competence and integrity—not on who can spend the most money or conceal the most wealth.”
The organisation also invoked Article 25 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which guarantees citizens the right to participate in public affairs and to vote and be elected in genuine periodic elections.
It argued that citizens could not meaningfully exercise those rights if they were denied relevant information needed to scrutinise candidates seeking their mandate.
SERAP therefore urged all 19 presidential candidates to respond positively to the demands and demonstrate, before the election, the level of transparency and accountability they would expect Nigerians to demand from them if elected.
'
'Do you want to share a story with us? Do you want to advertise with us? Do you need publicity for a product, service, or event? Contact us on WhatsApp +2348183319097 Email: platformtimes@gmail.com
We are committed to impactful investigative journalism for human interest and social justice. Your donation will help us tell more stories. Kindly donate any amount HERE
