Political Party Organization: Whistleblowing as a Tool for Combating Political Corruption in Nigeria

According to Transparency International (TI), political parties are one of the most corrupt organizations in the world and have a severe impact on the effective functioning of public institutions and the sustainability of democratic government. In Nigeria, political parties are known for using their influence for corrupt ends, such as rewarding their members and supporters with lucrative positions in government and access to public funds. Similarly, TI has continuously classified Nigeria as one of the top three most corrupt nations in the world on its yearly Corruption Perception Index report, with political corruption topping the list of corruption in the country. To fight the problem of political party corruption in Nigeria, it has become very important to have strong and effective anti-corruption strategies. A whistleblowing policy is an integral part of corporate accountability and one of the most effective strategies for combating wrongdoing and corrupt practices. Currently, there is a dearth of research into the mechanisms of whistleblowing in political parties. To connect the research on political party domain with the research on whistleblowing and corruption, two related questions were asked: (1) what is the relationship between political party activities and forms of corruption? and (2) How does whistleblowing serve as a measure to eradicate party corruption? The aim of this paper is to identify the types of wrongdoing that occurs in political parties’ organisations in Nigeria and to examine how whistleblowing could serve as a mechanism to combating political party corruption in Nigeria through the extractive corruption theory. This paper will address party corruption in the contexts of campaign funding, electoral fraud, parliamentary party activity, and party control over public assets and institutions. Possibilities for wrongdoing in the political parties in Nigeria will be identified. To wrap up, the research will offer insights on whistleblowing as an effective anti-corruption measure and strategy capable of promoting transparency in intra-party activity and the fight against political corruption in public institutions.