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 Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has extended the deadline for the submission of governorship and State Assembly candidates for the 2027 general elections.

INEC National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Kudu Haruna made this known in a statement on Saturday.

According to the statement, the new submission deadline is scheduled for Tuesday, 11th August, 2026.

The development stemmed from the growing appeals by political parties for additional time to complete the process.

“INEC wishes to inform political parties and the public that it has approved an extension of the deadline for the submission (upload on the dedicated portal) of the list of candidates for the Governorship and State Houses of Assembly Elections for the February 2027 General Election.

The submission window, which according to the revised Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the General Election was originally scheduled to close, Saturday, 8th August, 2026, has been extended to Tuesday, 11th August, 2026,” the commission said.

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Former African Democratic Congress, ADC, candidate for the Baure/Zango Federal Constituency, Balarabe Lawal Daga, and other opposition stakeholders have defected to the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Baure Local Government Area of Katsina State.

The defectors, drawn from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP, and ADC, joined the APC at a ceremony attended by Katsina State Governor, Dikko Radda on Saturday.

Daga, who previously contested the Baure/Zango Federal Constituency seat on the ADC platform, was among the prominent opposition figures who moved to the ruling party.

Radda described the development as a boost to the APC’s structure in Baure, while urging party members to maintain unity and peaceful relations at the grassroots.

The governor said the influx of members from different political parties reflected growing support for the APC in the local government.

He, however, cautioned party stakeholders against turning the defection ceremony into a campaign, noting that political campaigns would begin at the appropriate time.

The governor also urged party members to remain focused on governance and grassroots engagement.