The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged the 19 presidential candidates listed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the 2027 election to publicly declare their assets and liabilities and reject vote-buying.

SERAP also asked the candidates to disclose the assets and liabilities of their spouses and, where applicable, unmarried children under the age of 18.

The organisation made the call in a statement signed by its Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, and shared on its X account on Sunday.

Among the presidential candidates named by SERAP are President Bola Ahmed 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), and Omoyele Sowore of the African Action Congress (AAC).

Others are Donald Duke of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP); 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 Allied Peoples Movement (APM); and Yusuf Kabiru of the Allied Peoples Party (APP).

SERAP urged the candidates to publicly and unequivocally reject vote-buying and electoral bribery before and during the election.

It called on them to direct their political parties, campaign organisations, agents and supporters not to offer or distribute money, gifts or other material inducements in exchange for votes.

According to SERAP, candidates seeking Nigeria’s highest elected office should go beyond the minimum legal requirements by voluntarily embracing higher standards of transparency, accountability and integrity.

The organisation said those asking Nigerians to entrust them with enormous constitutional powers over public finances, natural resources, appointments and security institutions should be prepared to demonstrate that their personal financial affairs could withstand reasonable public scrutiny.

SERAP also urged the candidates to disclose the legitimate sources of their significant assets, saying such information would help voters assess potential conflicts of interest and significant sources of wealth.

It said voluntary pre-election asset declarations could strengthen public confidence in the electoral process and provide a baseline against which changes in the candidates’ wealth could be assessed if they were elected.

SERAP stressed that Nigeria’s democracy belonged to its citizens and that votes must not be bought while public office must not be treated as private property.

It said Nigerians should be able to choose their leaders based on policies, competence, integrity, character and vision rather than on which candidate could spend the most money.

The organisation added that the 2027 presidential election provided political leaders with an opportunity to demonstrate that public office was a public trust.

SERAP said candidates who voluntarily declared their assets and rejected vote-buying would demonstrate their willingness to uphold the transparency and accountability they promised to deliver if elected.