2027: SERAP Urges Tinubu, Atiku, Obi, 16 Others to Declare Assets, Reject Vote-Buying

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged all 19 presidential candidates announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to publicly declare their assets and liabilities ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

The organisation also called on the candidates to disclose the legitimate sources of their significant assets, including business interests, investments, real estate, substantial gifts and inheritances, as well as relevant assets and liabilities of their spouses and, where applicable, unmarried children below 18 years.

In an open letter dated August 8, 2026, and signed by SERAP Deputy Director Kolawole Oluwadare, the organisation urged the candidates to go beyond the legal minimum by voluntarily embracing higher standards of transparency, accountability and integrity in their bid for Nigeria's highest elected office.

The candidates 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), and Donald Duke of the People's Redemption Party (PRP).

Others are Okwori Ada Elizabeth Frederick of the National Democratic Party (NDP), Chukwu Anita Zugwai of the Young Progressives Party (YPP), Rufai Adekunle Omoaje of the Action Alliance (AA), Adenuga Sunday of the Boot Party, Memeh Samuel of the Democratic Labour Alliance (DLA), Nwanyanwu Daniel Danerechukwu of the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), Okereke Sunday Chibuzor of the Labour Party (LP), Okereke Iken Esther of the National Rescue Movement (NRM), Abbas-Bin Aliyu of the Action Democratic Party (ADP), Dikwa Suleiman Mohammed of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Adebayo Adewole Ebenezer of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Seyi Makinde of the Accord Party Movement (APM), and Yusuf Kabiru of the Action Peoples Party (APP).

SERAP said candidates seeking Nigerians' mandate to exercise constitutional powers over public finances, natural resources, appointments and security institutions should be willing to subject their financial affairs to reasonable public scrutiny.

“Nigerians should not be asked to choose between candidates on the basis of who can spend the most money. They should be able to choose on the basis of policies, competence, integrity, character and their vision for Nigeria,” the organisation said.

According to SERAP, voluntary pre-election asset disclosure would help voters identify potential conflicts of interest, understand significant sources of candidates' wealth, strengthen public confidence in the electoral process and provide a baseline for assessing future changes in the assets of elected officials.

The organisation also urged the candidates to publicly reject vote-buying and electoral bribery before and during the election.

SERAP called on them to instruct their political parties, campaign organisations, agents and supporters not to offer or distribute money, gifts, food, transportation benefits or other material inducements in exchange for votes.

It further urged the candidates to report credible allegations of vote-buying involving their campaign organisations to the appropriate authorities and to sign and publish a public integrity pledge committing themselves, their parties and campaign organisations to peaceful, transparent, accountable and corruption-free elections.

SERAP noted that although the 1999 Constitution, as amended, does not expressly require presidential candidates to publish their asset declarations before an election, it contains principles relating to transparency, accountability and integrity in public office.

The organisation cited Paragraph 11 of Part I of the Fifth Schedule, which requires public officers to submit declarations of their properties, assets and liabilities, including those of unmarried children under 18.

It also cited Section 140(1) of the Constitution, which requires a person elected President to make the prescribed declaration before assuming the functions of the office.

SERAP further referred to Article 25 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which guarantees citizens the right to participate in public affairs and to vote and be elected in genuine periodic elections.

The organisation argued that these rights could not be meaningfully exercised if voters were denied relevant information needed to scrutinise those seeking public office.

On vote-buying, SERAP described the practice as a major threat to electoral integrity, particularly amid widespread economic hardship and poverty.

“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 said.

The organisation 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 influence the return of a candidate or secure an elector's vote.

SERAP warned that an election in which citizens' votes are purchased, coerced or influenced through financial inducements cannot genuinely reflect the free political will of Nigerians.

It therefore urged all 19 presidential candidates to make their asset declarations public before the election, update the declarations if elected, and explain any material increase in their wealth.

“The choice before Nigerians in 2027 should be a choice based on ideas, policies, competence and integrity—not on who can spend the most money or conceal the most wealth,” SERAP said.