Declare your assets publicly, CSOs tell Obi, Tinubu, Atiku, others

A coalition of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) has asked candidates of all the political parties to publicly declare their assets ahead of the 2023 election.

The CSOs which are nine in number said this while addressing journalists in Abuja.

The CSOs include Accountability Lab Nigeria, Connected Development (CODE), SERAP, BudgIT, CJID, PLSI, Yiaga Africa and EIE.

The CSOs said despite the existence of a legal framework for asset declaration for political office holders, the level of compliance is unknown as data on asset declaration of office holders is not available to the public.

“The lack of public data on the assets or potential political aspirants provides an avenue for opacity and a lack of accountability; thereby fueling political corruption.

“The monetization of politics was the main headline during the political parties’ primaries and has become a pointer to how vote buying and selling will play a disruptive role in the 2023 election.

“Vote-buying has become a widespread practice, where democracy has struggled to be fully consolidated due to Nigeria’s entrenched corrupt political class, trapping citizens in self-sabotaging, subservient relationships with political leaders,” the CSOs said.

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The CSOs, therefore, called on political aspirants and political parties to “publicly declare their assets; declare the utilisation, and retiring of their 2019 campaign funds in compliance with sections 85-90 of the 2022 Nigerian Electoral Act, as a sign of good faith and commitment to publishing same after the 2023 election.

“Declare plans to address negative behaviours that lead to violence, such as vote-buying and publicly reject vote-buying before and during the 2023 election.

“Reinforce Nigeria’s value system in line with the National pledge ‘to be faithful, loyal and honest. To serve Nigeria with all my strength. To defend her unity, and uphold her honour and glory’.

“Adopt a Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) approach in their campaigns and political engagements toward inclusive governance, and a plan to advance the Gender and Equal Opportunity, Bill.

“Declare the percentage of appointive positions for Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) in line with the National Policy on Disability- the Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act, 2018.”

They also demand that th3 National Assembly oversee full operational independence of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) ahead of the 2023 elections and yield numerous calls for transparency regarding its budget and auditing of its finance.