Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, SERAP, has charged  all 19 presidential candidates announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to publish details of their assets and liabilities.

In a statement by its Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, SERAP also asked them to make public assets of their spouses and, where applicable, their unmarried children under 18, ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

The rights organization equally urged the candidates to disclose the legitimate sources of their significant assets and publicly reject vote-buying and electoral bribery before and during the election.

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

“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.”

“Nigeria’s democracy belongs to its citizens. Votes must not be bought. Public office must not be treated as private property. 

“Those seeking the highest public office must be willing to meet the highest standards of transparency, accountability and integrity,” it said.

The factional National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, has disowned a meeting reportedly held by members of his faction to endorse Kebbi State Governor, Nasir Idris ahead of the 2027 elections.

Turaki, a former Minister of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs, denied knowledge of the meeting in a response to an enquiry sent to him.

He stated that “we are not aware of the meeting.”

The meeting was reported by an online medium to have involved a former minister, Buhari Bala and General Ishaya Bamayi (Rtd), who were said to have facilitated discussions that culminated in a resolution to support the Idris administration in the 2027 elections.

Turaki, however, said his faction was not aware of the gathering and therefore could not endorse any resolution reached at the meeting.

“We are not aware of the meeting. ‘Shirmen banaza ne’”, he said.

The development comes amid continued factional divisions within the PDP as the party prepares for the 2027 general elections.

Neither the Nyesom Wike nor the Turaki-led faction of the party has publicly announced its governorship candidate for Kebbi State for the 2027 election.