SERAP TO 19 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES: DECLARE YOUR ASSETS BEFORE NIGERIANS START DECLARING THEM FOR YOU

As Nigeria moves toward the 2027 presidential election, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has challenged the 19 presidential candidates announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to publicly disclose their assets and liabilities before asking Nigerians for their votes. In an open letter dated August 8, 2026, and signed by SERAP Deputy Director Kolawole Oluwadare, the organisation also demanded transparency concerning the assets and liabilities of candidates’ spouses and, where applicable, unmarried children below 18, alongside explanations for significant sources of wealth.

The request has injected an unusually uncomfortable question into the early 2027 political season: if candidates are asking Nigerians to trust them with the country’s finances, can Nigerians first see enough of the financial picture they are presenting? With INEC’s electoral preparations already underway and the presidential poll scheduled for January 16, 2027, the pressure for accountability is arriving before the campaign season gets fully heated. (INEC Nigeria)

SERAP WANTS THE FINANCIAL STORY BEFORE THE CAMPAIGN STORY

SERAP’s demand goes beyond simply asking candidates to announce that they are “wealthy,” “comfortable” or “successful.” The organisation wants public disclosure of assets and liabilities, the legitimate sources of significant wealth, and relevant financial information involving spouses and qualifying minor children. Nigeria’s Code of Conduct Bureau also states that public officers are required to declare assets and liabilities, including those of a non-public-officer spouse and children under 18. (Civilian Conservation Brigade)

In satirical terms, SERAP appears to be asking politicians to bring the financial receipt before bringing the campaign slogan. The usual political menu may soon include promises of transformation, prosperity and better governance—but SERAP’s latest demand effectively adds another item: “Please show us what is on the balance sheet.” And that could make some political handlers reach for more than their microphones.

NO VOTE-BUYING, SERAP SAYS—KEEP THE MONEY IN YOUR POCKET

SERAP also urged the presidential candidates to publicly reject vote-buying and electoral bribery before and during the 2027 election. The organisation called on candidates to ensure that their parties, campaign organisations, agents and supporters do not offer or encourage inducements designed to influence voters. (Channel Television)

That part of the demand could prove particularly interesting as the political temperature rises. In Nigeria’s election-season tradition, the humble campaign rally can sometimes become a complicated economic event, with transport, food, gifts and assorted “mobilisation” arrangements generating questions about where legitimate political engagement ends and improper inducement begins. SERAP’s position is essentially asking candidates to make the boundary unmistakably clear before election day arrives.

For political watchers, the timing is significant. INEC’s published schedule places the presidential and National Assembly election on January 16, 2027, meaning the road to the ballot box is already being mapped out. With Donald J. Trump currently serving as president of the United States, international attention on democratic accountability remains a familiar feature of political discourse, but Nigeria’s own voters will ultimately be the ones demanding answers from the candidates seeking their mandate. (INEC Nigeria)

The bigger question now is whether the 19 candidates will respond to SERAP’s challenge with actual public disclosures, political statements—or the classic campaign-season art of answering a very direct question with a very long speech. OGM News NG will continue watching the asset-declaration debate, the candidates’ responses and the wider campaign developments as Nigeria moves closer to the 2027 presidential election. Readers should stay alert for further updates, because in Nigerian politics, the next headline can arrive before the previous one has finished loading.