The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has issued a direct challenge to all nineteen presidential candidates cleared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), demanding that they voluntarily publish comprehensive disclosures of their personal assets and liabilities prior to the upcoming general election.

In an open letter issued by its Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, the civil rights advocacy group urged political contenders—including President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress, Atiku Abubakar of the African Democratic Congress, Peter Obi of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, and Omoyele Sowore of the African Action Congress—to set a higher precedent for public governance.

The organization emphasized that candidates seeking constitutional power over public finances, national security, and state appointments must prove that their financial histories can endure rigorous public scrutiny. Beyond personal holdings, SERAP called on candidates to declare the wealth of their spouses and minor, unmarried children, disclose legitimate sources of significant assets, and explicitly denounce vote-buying and electoral corruption.

Although acknowledging that the Nigerian Constitution does not explicitly mandate pre-election public disclosure of assets, SERAP argued that voluntary publication aligns with the core democratic principles of transparency, integrity, and accountability enshrined in the country’s legal framework. While the Fifth Schedule of the Constitution already obligates elected officials to submit property declarations upon assuming office, the advocacy group stressed that candidates should go beyond the bare legal minimum before asking citizens for their votes.

Furthermore, SERAP highlighted growing concerns over the persistent use of monetary inducements and gifts to manipulate voters, citing Section 125 of the Electoral Act, which criminalizes electoral bribery. The organization reminded political leaders that national sovereignty belongs entirely to the people, maintaining that public office must be treated as a sacred trust rather than private property, and calling on contenders to demonstrate true commitment to clean governance ahead of the polls.