By Opeyemi Adelakun
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project has urged President Bola Tinubu, former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi and 16 other presidential candidates to publicly declare their assets and liabilities ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
SERAP also called on the candidates to disclose the legitimate sources of their significant assets and publicly commit to rejecting vote-buying and electoral bribery before and during the election.
The organisation made the demands in an open letter dated August 8, 2026, signed by its Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, and released on Saturday.
SERAP said candidates seeking the presidency should voluntarily adopt higher standards of transparency and accountability, arguing that Nigerians deserved to know whether their financial affairs could withstand reasonable public scrutiny before entrusting them with public office.
The organisation 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.”
The 19 candidates identified by SERAP include Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress, Atiku of the African Democratic Congress, Obi of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, Senator Sandy Onor of the Peoples Democratic Party and Omoyele Sowore of the African Action Congress.
Others are Donald Duke of the Peoples Redemption Party; 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; and Okereke Iken Esther of the National Rescue Movement.
The list also includes 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; Seyi Makinde of the Allied Peoples Movement; and Yusuf Kabiru of the Action Peoples Party.
SERAP said although the Constitution does not expressly require presidential candidates to publish their asset declarations before an election, its provisions embody principles of transparency, accountability and integrity in public office.
According to the organisation, the Constitution already requires elected public officers, including the President, to declare their assets and liabilities.
It 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.
SERAP also cited Section 140(1) of the Constitution, which requires a person elected President to make the prescribed declaration before assuming the functions of office.
The group said voluntary disclosure before the election would go beyond the legal minimum and demonstrate a commitment to transparency before candidates seek the mandate of Nigerians.
“Nigeria’s democracy belongs to its citizens. Votes must not be bought. Public office must not be treated as private property,” SERAP said.
“Those seeking the highest public office must be willing to meet the highest standards of transparency, accountability and integrity.”
The organisation further urged the candidates to publicly reject vote-buying, warning that the practice undermines citizens’ constitutional right to determine who governs them.
SERAP referred to Section 14(2)(a) of the Constitution, which provides that sovereignty belongs to the people of Nigeria, and Section 125 of the Electoral Act 2026, which it said criminalises bribery and related conduct intended to influence the return of a candidate or secure an elector’s vote.
The organisation said the 2027 presidential election offered political candidates an opportunity to demonstrate that public office was a trust rather than a private entitlement.
“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.
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