The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged all 19 presidential aspirants that are on its president-elect under the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) that were announced for the presidential election in 2027 to make their assets and liabilities public, and promise to deny the impetus of vote buying.
SERAP had also addressed the candidates in an open letter which calls for voluntary disclosure of assets, liabilities and legitimate sources of money to be raised before the presidential elections, and in excess of the bare minimum of the laws.
The disclosure should include relevant assets or liabilities of candidates’ spouses and unmarried children under 18 and still allow legitimate privacy and security concerns to be safeguarded, the organisation said.
Nigerians casting their vote to elect the next President of the country should be sufficiently informed to evaluate possible conflicts of interest and major money sources of those who seek the Presidency, according to a group, Sunshine.
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The organisation has said it is appealing at a time that the preparations for the 2027 general elections are gaining momentum and political parties are setting up candidates and campaign plans. They include President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of APC, Atiku Abubakar of the ADC, NDC’s Peter Obi, APM’s Seyi Makinde and AAC’s Omoyele Sowore as well as PRP’s Donald Duke.
SERAP also urged all the 19 candidates to state, emphatically and publicly, that they do not accept to be bought on voting tickets, nor do they accept or condone for their candidates electoral deception or bribery during the exercise of elections.
It told candidates to “prevent their parties, campaign organisations, agents and supporters from handing out money, gifts, food, transportation benefits or material inducements for votes.
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The organization also requested that potential presidents release verifiable evidence of vote buying by members of their campaign corps and submit to the relevant bodies and sign a pledge of transparency and peaceful, accountable elections commitment that they and their political entities will strive to carry out.
The policies, competency, integrity, character and vision of candidates should determine whether the Nigerian electorate elects a candidate to office or they should only choose the one who has the money to spend most during elections alone, SERAP argued.
The group also noted asset declarations for public officers that already exist in the Constitution. It observed that, if a presidential candidate chooses to make his/her declaration of assets and liabilities public before an election, that does not violate the Constitution; but if the candidate does not make such revelation, the elected President will later be required to do so.
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SERAP argued that the voluntary disclosure for holding of election would set the benchmark or standard for measuring any meaningful increase or decrease in the wealth of wining candidates.
On vote-buying, the organisation said that purchase of votes endangers the integrity of the vote particularly in a period of economic strife when people may be vulnerable to financial incentives.
SERAP referenced Section 14(2)(a) of the Constitution, which states that sovereignty belongs to the people, and Section 125 of the Electoral Act 2026, which criminalises bribery and related conduct intended to influence electoral outcomes.
The move comes on the heels of the organisations long campaign for transparency in Nigerian public officials. SERAP had in the past, campaigned on the disclosure of presidents and governors asset declaration to the public because transparency is an important feature of accountability and establishment of public confidence.
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The theme of political financing, with political and personal wealth disclosure, and the integrity of electoral competition, all highlighted by SERAP’s demands, are back on the political scene just ahead of the 2027 presidential race.
The organisation appears to be calling on the presidential candidates to prove Nigerians that they are ready and willing to adhere to the same modus operandi of transparency and accountability they will require on the desk while in power.
