Gender and Corruption in Nigerian Politics.

This article explores the relationships, or the lack thereof, between gender and grand corruption in Nigeria. Methodologically, Butler's theory of subject formation/performativity, and Kothari's critique of participation, was used to interrogate selected Nigerian grand corruption literature and public indictment records. The objective was to tease-out and explain under-emphasized influences on grand corruption, such as the roles of godfathers, women's political socialization and self-interests. Findings indicate that powerful political, cultural, military and industrial godfathers and mothers regulate aspirants' selection, electoral funding, appointments and extra-constitutional protection from prosecution when they engage in grand corruption. Godfathers regulate political participation in a manner that encourage protegees fantasies about, and imitative adoption of their patrons' corrupt worldviews and practices. Consequently, godfather political socialization, extra-constitutional pressures on office holders, and crass materialist accumulation interests of indicted female leaders seem to matter more than the gender binary.