ABUJA, Nigeria — The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has called on all 19 presidential candidates announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to publicly disclose their assets and liabilities ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
The organisation also urged the candidates to disclose the assets and liabilities of their spouses and, where applicable, their unmarried children below the age of 18. It further asked the presidential hopefuls to explain the legitimate sources of their significant assets and publicly commit to rejecting vote-buying and electoral bribery before and during the election.
SERAP made the demands in an open letter dated August 8, 2026, and signed by its Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare. The organisation said candidates seeking Nigeria’s highest elected office should voluntarily adopt stronger standards of transparency and accountability, even where existing laws do not expressly require them to publish their asset declarations before an election.
Among the presidential candidates listed by SERAP are President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress, Atiku Abubakar of the African Democratic Congress, Peter Obi of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, Senator Sandy Onor of the Peoples Democratic Party and Omoyele Sowore of the African Action Congress.
Others named include 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 and Adenuga Sunday of the Boot Party.
The remaining candidates listed by the organisation are 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, Seyi Makinde of the Allied Peoples Movement and Yusuf Kabiru of the Action Peoples Party.
SERAP said candidates asking Nigerians to entrust them with extensive constitutional powers over public finances, natural resources, appointments and security institutions should be prepared to subject their personal financial affairs to reasonable public scrutiny.
The organisation maintained that voluntary asset disclosure before the election would help demonstrate the candidates’ commitment to the transparency and accountability they would be expected to uphold if elected.
SERAP acknowledged that the Nigerian Constitution does not expressly compel presidential candidates to publish their asset declarations before an election. However, it argued that constitutional provisions governing public office already establish principles of transparency, accountability and integrity.
The organisation pointed to the Fifth Schedule of the Constitution, which requires public officers to declare their properties, assets and liabilities, including those of unmarried children below 18. It also cited Section 140(1), which requires a person elected President to submit the prescribed declaration before assuming the functions of office.
Beyond asset disclosure, SERAP raised concerns over the continued use of money, gifts and other inducements to influence voters during elections. It urged all presidential candidates to publicly reject vote-buying and electoral bribery as part of their commitments ahead of the 2027 poll.
The organisation said vote-buying undermines the constitutional principle that sovereignty belongs to the people and weakens citizens’ ability to freely choose their representatives.
SERAP also cited provisions of the Electoral Act 2026 which it said criminalise bribery and related conduct intended to influence voters or secure the return of a candidate to elective office.
The organisation urged the presidential candidates to use the 2027 election as an opportunity to demonstrate that public office is a public trust. It said candidates who voluntarily disclose their financial interests and reject electoral bribery would send a strong signal about their willingness to uphold democratic accountability.
With political activities already building ahead of the 2027 presidential election, SERAP’s demands place renewed attention on the financial transparency of candidates and the need to protect the electoral process from inducements and other practices capable of undermining voters’ choices.
