The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged the 19 presidential candidates cleared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the 2027 election to publicly declare their assets and liabilities before the polls.
SERAP made the demand in an open letter dated August 8, 2026, signed by its Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare.
The organisation urged the candidates to go beyond the minimum requirements of the law by disclosing the sources of their wealth and publicly committing to reject vote-buying and other forms of electoral corruption.
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SERAP called on each candidate to publish details of their assets and liabilities, including those belonging to their spouses and unmarried children below the age of 18.
The organisation said candidates seeking to control the country’s finances, natural resources, public appointments and security institutions should allow voters to scrutinise their financial interests before casting their ballots.
It also urged the candidates to publicly condemn vote-buying and direct their parties, campaign teams and supporters not to offer money or material incentives in exchange for votes.
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SERAP said public office should be treated as a public trust and not as personal property.
“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.
The organisation also urged the candidates to disclose the legitimate sources of their major assets, properties, investments, businesses, gifts and inheritances.
SERAP asked the candidates to commit to updating their asset declarations if elected and to account publicly for significant changes in their wealth while in office.
The organisation further urged the candidates to publicly condemn electoral bribery and prohibit their campaign officials, agents and supporters from offering inducements to voters.
It asked the candidates to direct their campaign teams not to distribute money, gifts, food or transport allowances in exchange for votes.
SERAP also called on the candidates to report credible cases of vote-buying involving their campaign officials to the appropriate law enforcement agencies.
The organisation urged all 19 candidates to sign and publish a public integrity pledge committing themselves, their parties and campaign structures to peaceful, transparent and corruption-free elections.
SERAP acknowledged that the 1999 Constitution, as amended, does not expressly require presidential candidates to publish their asset declarations before an election.
However, it argued that the constitutional principles of accountability and popular sovereignty, alongside international standards, support greater transparency from those seeking public office.
The organisation cited Paragraph 11 of Part I of the Fifth Schedule and Section 140(1) of the Constitution, which provide for asset declarations by public officers and the President-elect.
It also referred to Section 14(2)(a), which states that sovereignty belongs to the people of Nigeria, arguing that voters should have access to relevant information before deciding who to elect.
It further cited Section 125 of the Electoral Act 2026, which prohibits the use of money, gifts, food and other material inducements to influence voters.
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The organisation also referenced Article 25 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which guarantees citizens the right to participate in public affairs and vote in genuine elections.
SERAP said publishing asset declarations before the election would give voters more information to assess the candidates seeking to lead the country.
