Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project has fired a powerful salvo across the bows of Nigeria's political class, demanding that all 19 presidential candidates for the 2027 election publicly declare their assets and liabilities before they dare to ask Nigerians for their votes. In an open letter dated August 8, 2026, and addressed to every candidate cleared by the Independent National Electoral Commission, SERAP insisted that voluntary pre-election asset disclosure is not merely a moral choice but a fundamental test of fitness for the highest office in the land. The organisation, through its Deputy Director Kolawole Oluwadare, urged the candidates to go beyond the bare legal minimum and embrace higher standards of transparency, accountability and integrity.
The 19 candidates named in SERAP's letter represent a broad cross-section of Nigeria's political landscape. They include President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress, former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar of the African Democratic Congress, Peter Obi of the Nigeria 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 Seyi Makinde of the Allied Peoples Movement. Others on the list are Okwori Ada Elizabeth Frederick of the National Democratic Party, Chukwu Anita Zugwai of the Young Progressive Party, Rufai Adekunle Omoaje of the Action Alliance, Adenuga Sunday of the Boot Party, Memeh Samuel of the Democratic Labour 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 People's Party, Adebayo Adewole Ebenezer of the Social Democratic Party, and Yusuf Kabiru of the Action Peoples Party.
SERAP's letter was unequivocal in its reasoning. "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," the organisation declared. The group argued that Nigerians should not be forced to choose between candidates based on who can spend the most money, but rather on policies, competence, integrity, character and vision. "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," SERAP stated.
The organisation acknowledged that the Nigerian Constitution does not expressly require presidential candidates to publish their asset declarations before an election. However, it pointed to existing constitutional provisions that already mandate elected public officers, including the President, to declare their assets and liabilities. SERAP cited Paragraph 11 of Part I of the Fifth Schedule, which requires public officers to submit declarations covering their properties, assets and liabilities, including those of unmarried children under 18. It also referred to Section 140(1) of the Constitution, which requires a person elected President to make the prescribed declaration before assuming the functions of office. SERAP further urged the candidates to publish details of the assets and liabilities of their spouses and, where applicable, their unmarried children below the age of 18.
Beyond asset disclosure, SERAP also demanded that all presidential candidates publicly and unequivocally reject vote-buying and electoral bribery before and during the elections. The organisation raised concerns about the persistent use of money, gifts and other inducements to influence voters, warning that such practices directly undermine the constitutional principle that sovereignty belongs to the people of Nigeria. It cited Section 14(2)(a) of the Constitution, which provides that sovereignty belongs to the people, and Section 125 of the Electoral Act 2026, which criminalises bribery and related conduct intended to influence electoral outcomes. SERAP urged the candidates 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 organisation framed its demand as an opportunity for political leaders to demonstrate that they understand public office as a public trust rather than a means of personal enrichment. "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," SERAP said. It also noted that 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 letter comes against the backdrop of SERAP's broader anti-corruption advocacy. Just weeks earlier, in July 2026, the organisation had sued INEC over allegations that APC governors diverted about N800 billion from Federation Account Allocation Committee allocations into a campaign fund to support President Tinubu's re-election bid. That legal action followed INEC's alleged failure to investigate claims that the governors had been making monthly contributions from their FAAC allocations into a dedicated campaign account. The suit, still pending in court, has added urgency to SERAP's demands for transparency ahead of the 2027 polls.
SERAP's call for asset disclosure has reignited a long-standing debate about the opacity of Nigeria's political class. Despite constitutional provisions requiring asset declarations by public officers, these declarations are not made public, leaving citizens in the dark about the wealth of those who govern them. The organisation's demand for pre-election disclosure represents a direct challenge to this culture of secrecy. Whether any of the 19 candidates will heed the call remains to be seen. But SERAP has made its position clear: those who seek to lead Nigeria must first prove that they have nothing to hide. The ball is now in the court of the candidates, and Nigerians are watching.
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