The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has challenged all 19 presidential candidates announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the 2027 election to publicly declare their assets and liabilities and unequivocally reject vote-buying.
SERAP, in an open letter dated August 8, 2026 and signed by its Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, urged the candidates to disclose their assets and liabilities, those of their spouses and, where applicable, unmarried children below 18, as well as the legitimate sources of their significant wealth.
The organisation also called on the candidates to direct their political parties, campaign organisations, agents and supporters not to offer money, gifts, food, transportation benefits or other material inducements in exchange for votes.
The candidates listed by SERAP 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 People’s Redemption Party (PRP); and Okwori Ada Elizabeth Frederick of the National Democratic Party (NDP).
Others are Chukwu Anita Zugwai (YPP), Rufai Adekunle Omoaje (AA), Adenuga Sunday (Boot Party), Memeh Samuel (DLA), Nwanyanwu Daniel Danerechukwu (ZLP), Okereke Sunday Chibuzor (LP), Okereke Iken Esther (NRM), Abbas-Bin Aliyu (ADP), Dikwa Suleiman Mohammed (NNPP), Adebayo Adewole Ebenezer (SDP), Seyi Makinde (APM) and Yusuf Kabiru (APP).
SERAP said candidates seeking the nation’s highest elected office should voluntarily embrace standards of transparency and accountability that go beyond the legal minimum.
The organisation argued that politicians asking Nigerians to entrust them with control over public finances, natural resources, appointments and security institutions should be prepared to subject their personal financial affairs to reasonable public scrutiny.
“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,” SERAP said.
It maintained that Nigerians should be able to choose their next president on the basis of policies, competence, integrity, character and vision rather than financial capacity.
According to the organisation, voluntary pre-election asset disclosure would enable voters to identify potential conflicts of interest, scrutinise significant sources of wealth, strengthen confidence in the electoral process and establish a baseline for assessing future changes in the assets of elected officials.
SERAP also raised concerns over the persistent use of money and other inducements to influence voters, warning that vote-buying undermines the principle that political sovereignty belongs to the Nigerian people.
It cited Section 14(2)(a) of the 1999 Constitution, which provides that sovereignty belongs to the people, and Section 125 of the Electoral Act 2026, which, according to the organisation, criminalises bribery and related conduct intended to procure the return of a candidate or the vote of an elector.
“An election in which citizens’ votes are purchased, coerced or otherwise financially induced cannot genuinely reflect the free political will of the Nigerian people,” SERAP said.
The group further warned that vote-buying is particularly damaging amid widespread economic hardship because it exploits citizens’ financial vulnerability and risks reducing a constitutional political right to a financial transaction.
While acknowledging that the Constitution does not expressly require presidential candidates to publish asset declarations before an election, SERAP said constitutional principles of transparency, accountability, integrity in public office and meaningful participation provide a strong basis for voluntary disclosure.
It also pointed to constitutional provisions requiring elected public officers, including the President, to declare their assets and liabilities before assuming office.
SERAP said the 2027 election should provide an opportunity for political leaders to demonstrate that public office is a public trust.
The organisation therefore called on all 19 candidates to publish their assets and liabilities before the election, disclose the legitimate sources of significant wealth, commit to updating their declarations if elected and explain material increases in their assets.
It further urged the candidates to publicly reject vote-buying and electoral bribery, instruct their campaign organisations and associates to refrain from distributing inducements, report credible allegations of vote-buying involving their campaigns to relevant authorities and sign and publish a public integrity pledge.
SERAP said the ultimate choice before Nigerian voters in 2027 should be based on ideas, policies, competence and integrity—not on which candidate can spend the most money or conceal the most wealth.
