As political activities ahead of the 2027 general elections begin to gather momentum across the country, Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Mohamed Ndarani Mohammed, has called for the investigation of retired civil servants and former public office holders before they are allowed to contest elective positions.
Addressing a press conference in Abuja on Wednesday, Ndarani expressed concern over the growing trend of former public servants amassing unexplained wealth toward the end of their tenure in preparation for political ambitions.
According to him, while the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) mandates all public servants to declare their assets, there is often no follow-up investigation after they leave office, adding that, ‘After retirement or resignation, no one checks whether their post-service assets align with what they declared when they joined public service.
‘This lack of scrutiny allows many to plunder public funds with impunity’, the senior lawyer said and lamented that many public officials exploit their positions to divert public resources into private accounts, using such funds to finance expensive election campaigns.
He noted that despite the provisions of Section 88(2-7) of the Electoral Act 2022, which sets limits on campaign expenses, politicians continue to flout these laws without consequence.
The senior lawyer expressed worry that politicians are not being sanctioned for violating campaign finance limits, which he said explained why so many public servants, as their retirement nears, resort to corrupt practices in anticipation of their entry into politics.
Outlining several measures to curb this trend and promote transparency ahead of the 2027 polls, Ndarani said, retired civil servants and former political office holders should undergo a thorough investigation to determine the sources of their assets and income after leaving office.
‘Retired public servants should be barred from contesting elections for at least one year to allow anti-corruption agencies sufficient time to investigate them. Heads of ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) who have retired or been relieved of their duties should also face financial investigations, regardless of whether they plan to contest elections’.
He called on Nigerians to play active roles in holding their leaders accountable and ensuring transparency in governance, and that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu should invoke Section 315 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) to strengthen the fight against corruption.
Ndarani emphasized that Nigeria’s political class must begin to view public service as an avenue for nation-building, not personal enrichment.
‘Nigerians deserve leaders who live modestly, account for every naira spent, and put the nation’s welfare above personal gain,’ he said, and urged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related Offences Commission (ICPC) to begin proactive investigations into potential political aspirants well ahead of the 2027 elections.
He appealed to President Tinubu to create an enabling platform that would prevent retired public officials from using ill-gotten wealth to contest for political offices, stressing that such reforms were vital to Nigeria’s progress and democratic integrity.