PUBLISH YOUR ASSETS BEFORE ELECTION SERAP URGES TINUBU, ATIKU OTHERS
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HOTJIST NEWS
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project has asked all 19 presidential candidates announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission to share information about their assets and debts, as well as those of their spouses and, if applicable, their unmarried children under the age of 18, before the 2027 presidential election.
SERAP also wants the candidates to explain where their major assets come from and to publicly say they will not buy votes or accept bribes during the election.
In a statement released by its Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, the organisation said this request was made in an open letter to the candidates on August 8, 2026.
The 19 candidates listed by SERAP include President Bola Tinubu from the All Progressives Congress; Atiku Abubakar from the African Democratic Congress; Peter Obi from the Nigeria Democratic Congress; Senator Sandy Onor from the Peoples Democratic Party; Omoyele Sowore from the African Action Congress; Donald Duke from the Peoples Redemption Party; Okwori Ada Elizabeth Frederick from the National Democratic Party; Chukwu Anita Zugwai from the Young Progressive Party; Rufai Adekunle Omoaje from the Action Alliance; and Adenuga Sunday from the Boot Party.
Others are Memeh Samuel from the Democratic Labour Alliance; Nwanyanwu Daniel Danerechukwu from the Zenith Labour Party; Okereke Sunday Chibuzor from the Labour Party; Okereke Iken Esther from the National Rescue Movement; Abbas-Bin Aliyu from the Action Democratic Party; Dikwa Suleiman Mohammed from the New Nigeria People’s Party; Adebayo Adewole Ebenezer from the Social Democratic Party; Seyi Makinde from the Allied Peoples Movement; and Yusuf Kabiru from the Action Peoples Party.
SERAP urged the candidates to “go beyond the basic legal requirements and choose to follow higher standards of openness, responsibility, and honesty in seeking Nigeria’s highest elected position.”
It added, “Candidates who are asking Nigerians to give them great power over public money, natural resources, appointments, and security institutions should be ready, before asking for their votes, to show that their personal finances can handle reasonable scrutiny.”
“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 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.”
The organisation noted that although the Nigerian Constitution does not expressly require presidential candidates to publish their asset declarations before an election, it said the Constitution embodies principles of transparency, accountability and integrity in public office.
“The Constitution already requires elected public officers, including the President, to declare their assets and liabilities,” SERAP said.
It added, “Paragraph 11 of Part I of the Fifth Schedule requires public officers to submit declarations of their properties, assets and liabilities, including those of unmarried children under 18, while section 140(1) requires a person elected President to make the prescribed declaration before assuming the functions of office.”
On vote-buying, SERAP said, “We are also concerned about the persistent use of money, gifts and other inducements to influence voters. Vote-buying directly undermines 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, and Section 125 of the Electoral Act 2026, which it said criminalises bribery and related conduct intended to procure the return of a person to elective office or the vote of an elector.
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