The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has challenged the 19 presidential candidates cleared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to publicly disclose their assets and liabilities and reject vote-buying ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
In an open letter dated August 8, 2026, SERAP urged the candidates to voluntarily publish details of their personal assets and liabilities, as well as relevant financial information belonging to their spouses and unmarried children below 18. The organisation also asked them to explain the legitimate sources of significant assets ahead of the election.
Among the presidential candidates listed by SERAP are President Bola Tinubu of the APC, Atiku Abubakar of the ADC, Peter Obi of the NDC, Sandy Onor of the PDP, Omoyele Sowore of the AAC, Donald Duke of the PRP and Seyi Makinde of the APM, alongside other candidates from various political parties.
SERAP Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, said candidates seeking the country’s highest political office should be prepared to subject their financial affairs to reasonable public scrutiny before asking Nigerians to trust them with control over public resources, appointments and security institutions.
“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 said voluntary disclosure would allow voters to identify potential conflicts of interest, understand significant sources of wealth and establish a basis for assessing future changes in the assets of any candidate who eventually wins the election.
SERAP argued that Nigerians should not have to choose their next president based on which candidate can spend the most money during the campaign.
“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.”
SERAP Wants Candidates to Reject Vote-Buying
The organisation also called on all presidential candidates to publicly and unequivocally reject vote-buying and electoral bribery, urging them to ensure that their political parties, campaign teams, agents and supporters do not offer money, gifts or other incentives in exchange for votes.
SERAP said the practice undermines the ability of citizens to freely choose their leaders, particularly in an environment where poverty and economic hardship can make voters vulnerable to financial inducements.
“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 also pointed to Section 14(2)(a) of the Nigerian 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 maintained that the 2027 election should give Nigerians the opportunity to judge candidates based on their policies, competence and character rather than their financial capacity.
What SERAP Wants the Candidates to Do
SERAP called on the 19 candidates to publish their assets and liabilities before the election, including relevant declarations involving their spouses and unmarried children under 18. It also wants candidates to disclose legitimate sources of significant wealth, including business interests, investments, property, substantial gifts and inheritance, while allowing for legitimate privacy and security concerns.
The organisation further urged candidates to commit to updating their public declarations if elected and explaining any significant increase in their wealth.
They were also asked to instruct campaign organisations and political associates not to distribute money, food, transportation benefits, gifts or other material incentives in exchange for votes.
SERAP wants candidates to report credible allegations of vote-buying linked to their campaign organisations to the appropriate authorities and sign a public integrity pledge committing themselves, their parties and campaign teams to peaceful, transparent, accountable and corruption-free elections.
The organisation noted that while the Nigerian Constitution does not expressly require presidential candidates to publish their asset declarations before an election, elected public officers are required to declare their assets and liabilities.
It cited Paragraph 11 of Part I of the Fifth Schedule of the Constitution, which provides for asset declarations by public officers, and Section 140(1), which requires an elected President to make the prescribed declaration before assuming office.
SERAP also referenced Article 25 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, arguing that voters need access to relevant information to make informed choices during elections.
The organisation concluded that candidates seeking the presidency should demonstrate the same transparency and accountability they promise to Nigerians if elected.
“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.”
Source: Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP).
