On June 28, 2007, President Umar Musa Yar’Adua made public his assets declaration form, becoming the first sitting president to open his financial records to citizens.
The President released duly signed photocopies of the form he submitted to the Code of Conduct Bureau in May, fulfilling a campaign promise he made ahead of the April 2007 elections.
Sworn in on May 29, 2007, Yar’Adua waited for the CCB’s initial verification before going public. The public unveiling came exactly one month into his administration, on June 28, 2007.
“This disclosure is intended to set an example for other Nigerian politicians and discourage corruption,” the President’s office stated.
According to the declaration made public:
President Yar’Adua: Total assets valued at ₦856,452,892 with annual income put at ₦18.7 million.
First Lady Turai Yar’Adua: Assets worth ₦19 million, made up of houses with individual values stated.
Political observers say the audacious act of transparency “made nonsense of claims” that only future leaders would embrace open accountability.
Legal experts note that while asset declaration is mandatory by law for public officers, public disclosure remains voluntary and “done only on moral grounds”.
Civil society groups praised the move as a benchmark for future leaders. Analysts say it sets up a basis for comparison later to check for misappropriation.
