SERAP Challenges Tinubu, Atiku, Obi on Assets
A frontline rights group wants Nigeria’s top politicians to expose their personal wealth ahead of 2027. The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project challenged President Bola Tinubu and opposition leaders to disclose their assets. Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi lead a nineteen-candidate list facing the voluntary challenge. SERAP deputy director Kolawole Oluwadare issued the demand in an open letter on Sunday. Asking voters for trust requires total personal financial openness. Words must yield to bank statements.
The campaign demands transparency from candidates, their spouses, and minor children before ballot casting begins. Politicians must outline legitimate income sources alongside private business holdings and property investments. SERAP also wants every candidate to sign a binding public integrity pledge. The initiative aims to curb electoral bribery and widespread vote buying across voting districts. Cash transactions continue to taint ballot boxes nationwide. Money buys votes when rules remain weak.
Nigerian constitutional law creates a curious double standard for political office seekers. The fifth schedule mandates private asset filings only after candidates secure electoral victory. Consequently, voters evaluate prospective leaders without knowing their true financial interests or debts. Voluntary declarations would establish clear baselines to measure sudden wealth accumulation later. Opaque wealth breeds suspicion among ordinary taxpayers. Public office should never enrich political candidates.
Political leaders historically resist opening personal ledgers to independent public scrutiny. Standard declarations behind closed doors at the Code of Conduct Bureau offer minimal accountability. Bureaucrats lock away financial records while public funds vanish through institutional backdoors. Wealthy candidates routinely spend billions without explaining the origins of their campaign funds. Financial secrecy protects entrenched interests across political parties. Hidden money subverts fair democratic competition.
Widespread vote buying remains a persistent disease within the country’s electoral process. Political parties distribute cash, food items, and material favours to desperate voters on polling days. Poverty transforms civic duties into quick commercial transactions for struggling families. Candidates view campaign spending as high-yield investments rather than public service. Buying power replaces sound policy debates during campaign seasons. Democracy suffers when cash dictates election results.
The 2027 presidential contest offers a fresh test for Nigeria’s political class. Voluntary asset disclosures would show genuine commitment to fighting public corruption. Candidates who refuse to publish their wealth signal anxiety over public scrutiny. Voters deserve clear facts before entrusting constitutional power over state revenues. Accountability must begin long before inauguration day. True leadership demands total financial transparency.
SERAP’s ultimatum puts the burden of proof squarely on the political establishment. Opposition leaders often demand public accountability while keeping their own balance sheets secret. Incumbents defend current secrecy rules to shield personal fortunes from hostile commentary. Silence from major candidates will confirm voter cynicism about political motives. The political elite must choose between openness and old habits. Transparency remains the ultimate test of integrity.