Wonotanzokan Nzeda Tagowa, Aliyu Dadi Masoyi, Zachariah Peter, Wula James Tyavee

Keywords: Political Parties, Campaign, Corruption, Vote Buying, Campaign Expenditure, Politicians

Abstract

Across democracies of the world, campaign financing greatly influence democratic processes. In democracies of developing nations like Nigeria, money and other inducements significantly influence voters’ decisions. Adopting political corruption’ models of analysis; this study examines how campaign financing during the 2015 general elections reinforced corruption in Taraba State, Nigeria. The study employed the survey research design to collect data using structured questionnaire administered to politicians (25); Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) officers (25); and electorates (25) across the 16 Local Government Areas of Taraba State, Nigeria. Results of the study confirmed high cost of campaigns by political parties in Taraba State, Nigeria during the 2015 general elections expressed in vote buying and use of public resources for campaign purposes and this significantly reinforced corruption within Taraba State, Nigeria. Similarly, the study established the lack of effective monitoring laws or mechanisms that govern campaign financing in Taraba State, Nigeria. The study recommends that more effective legislations should be enacted to prohibit the different forms of vote buying and the associated forms of electoral bribery and other malpractices that form the root of political finance-related corruption in Taraba State, Nigeria. Likewise, sanctions should be directed at political parties and against individual party officials involved in illicit transactions during general elections.

Author Biography

Wonotanzokan Nzeda Tagowa

Department of Political Science

Federal University Wukari, Taraba State, Nigeria

Dadi Masoyi, Zachariah Peter, Wula James Tyavee

Department of Accounting

Federal University Wukari, Taraba State, Nigeria

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