The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged all 19 presidential candidates announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to publish details of their assets and liabilities ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
SERAP also called on the candidates to disclose the assets and liabilities of their spouses and, where applicable, their unmarried children under 18, as well as the legitimate sources of their significant assets.
The organisation further urged the presidential candidates to publicly reject vote-buying and electoral bribery before and during the election and direct their parties, campaign organisations, agents and supporters not to offer money, gifts or other material inducements in exchange for votes.
The candidates include President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Atiku Abubakar of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Peter Obi of the New Democratic Congress (NDC), Senator Sandy Onor of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Omoyele Sowore of the African Action Congress (AAC), Donald Duke of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), Okwori Ada Elizabeth Frederick of the National Democratic Party (NDP), Chukwu Anita Zugwai of the Young Progressives Party (YPP), Rufai Adekunle Omoaje of the Action Alliance (AA) and Adenuga Sunday of the Boot Party.
Others are Memeh Samuel of the Democratic Labour Alliance (DLA), Nwanyanwu Daniel Danerechukwu of the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), Okereke Sunday Chibuzor of the Labour Party (LP), Okereke Iken Esther of the National Rescue Movement (NRM), Abbas-Bin Aliyu of the Allied Peoples Party (ADP), Dikwa Suleiman Mohammed of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Adebayo Adewole Ebenezer of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Seyi Makinde of the Accord Party Movement (APM) and Yusuf Kabiru of the Action Peoples Party (APP).
In an open letter dated August 8, 2026, and signed by SERAP Deputy Director Kolawole Oluwadare, the organisation urged the candidates to go beyond the minimum legal requirements by voluntarily adopting higher standards of transparency, accountability and integrity.
SERAP said candidates seeking the presidency, with its extensive constitutional powers over public finances, natural resources, appointments and security institutions, should be prepared to subject their financial affairs to reasonable public scrutiny before asking Nigerians for their votes.
“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 organisation said.
It said voluntary pre-election asset disclosure would enable voters to identify potential conflicts of interest and significant sources of wealth, while providing a baseline for assessing changes in a candidate’s assets if elected.
According to SERAP, Nigerians should be able to choose their next president based on policies, competence, integrity, character and vision rather than the candidate with the greatest financial resources.
“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,” it said.
SERAP noted that although the Nigerian Constitution does not expressly require presidential candidates to publicly disclose their assets before an election, constitutional provisions already require elected public officers, including the President, to declare their assets and liabilities.
The organisation cited Paragraph 11 of Part I of the Fifth Schedule to the 1999 Constitution, which requires public officers to submit declarations of their properties, assets and liabilities, including those of unmarried children under 18.
It also referenced Section 140(1), which requires a person elected President to make the prescribed declaration before assuming the functions of office.
SERAP further cited Article 25 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which protects citizens’ rights to participate in public affairs and to vote and be elected in genuine periodic elections.
The organisation argued that these rights could not be meaningfully exercised where voters lacked relevant information needed to scrutinise candidates seeking public office.
On vote-buying, SERAP expressed concern over the continued use of money, gifts and other inducements to influence voters, describing the practice as a direct threat to the constitutional principle that sovereignty belongs to the people.
It cited Section 14(2)(a) of the Constitution, which provides that sovereignty belongs to the people of Nigeria, as well as Section 125 of the Electoral Act 2026, which criminalises bribery and related conduct intended to procure the election of a person or the vote of an elector.
SERAP said an election in which votes were purchased, coerced or financially induced could not genuinely reflect the free political will of Nigerians.
The organisation also warned that vote-buying was particularly harmful amid widespread economic hardship because it exploits voters’ financial vulnerability and risks turning a constitutional political right into a financial transaction.
SERAP therefore urged the 19 presidential candidates to publish their assets and liabilities before the election, including relevant declarations involving their spouses and unmarried children under 18.
It also asked the candidates to disclose the legitimate sources of significant assets, including business interests, investments, real property, substantial gifts and inheritance, while protecting legitimate privacy and security concerns.
The organisation further urged candidates to commit to updating their public declarations if elected and explaining any material increase in their wealth.
SERAP called on the candidates to publicly reject vote-buying and electoral bribery and instruct their campaign organisations, agents, supporters and political associates not to distribute money, food, gifts, transportation benefits or other material inducements in exchange for votes.
The organisation also asked the candidates to report credible allegations of vote-buying involving their campaign organisations to the appropriate authorities.
Finally, SERAP urged all 19 candidates to sign and publish a public integrity pledge committing themselves, their parties and campaign organisations to peaceful, transparent, accountable and corruption-free elections.