Publish assets, reject vote-buying, SERAP tells Nigerian presidential candidates

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has called on all 19 presidential candidates announced by Nigeria's Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to publicly disclose details of their assets and liabilities. This call, made ahead of the 2027 presidential election, also extends to the assets of their spouses and unmarried children under 18, demanding disclosure of the legitimate sources of their significant wealth.

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all 19 presidential candidates announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to promptly publish details of their assets and liabilities, those of their spouses and, where applicable, their unmarried children under 18, and disclose the legitimate sources of their significant assets ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

In addition to asset transparency, SERAP urged the candidates to unequivocally reject vote-buying and electoral bribery. They are also instructed to ensure their parties, campaign organizations, agents, and supporters refrain from offering or distributing money, gifts, or other material inducements in exchange for votes. The organization stressed that votes must not be bought and public office should not be treated as private property.

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all presidential candidates to publicly and unequivocally reject vote-buying and electoral bribery before and during the elections, and to instruct their parties, campaign organisations, agents and supporters not to offer or distribute money, gifts or other material inducements in exchange for votes.

SERAP's open letter, dated August 8, 2026, encourages candidates to exceed legal minimums and embrace higher standards of transparency, accountability, and integrity. The organization argues that individuals seeking Nigeria's highest elected office, with immense constitutional powers over public finances, resources, appointments, and security, must demonstrate that their personal financial affairs can withstand public scrutiny before asking for votes.

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the candidates to go beyond the bare legal minimum and voluntarily embrace higher standards of transparency, accountability and integrity in seeking Nigeria’s highest elected office.

The letter highlights that Nigerians should choose candidates based on policies, competence, integrity, character, and vision, not on who spends the most money. SERAP believes that voluntary pre-election disclosure of assets would enable voters to assess potential conflicts of interest and significant wealth sources, thereby strengthening public confidence in the electoral process and establishing a baseline for future asset assessments.

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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.