TRANSPARENCY International has listed Nigerian political parties as the most corrupt in the world in a recent poll which looked at how upright political associations were across the globe.

 In a damning indictment of the ruling People's Democratic Party (PDP) and the main opposition the All Progressives Congress (APC), 94% of respondents in the survey felt Nigerian political parties were corrupt. They were followed by Mexico and Cyprus that had 91% ratings and then Nepal and Greece with 90% each.

Established as a global coalition fighting against corruption, Transparency International regularly conducts surveys to find out which countries are fighting graft. In this latest survey, across Africa, only Nigeria’s political parties ranked among the top 11 countries that were looked at.

Most Nigerians will not be surprised with the findings, however, as both parties regularly bribe voters with food, essential items and cash. In addition, both parties are mainly funded by their state governors, who regularly loot state funds to bankroll campaigns, which federal government parastatals are also fleeced for political purposes.

 Recently, Nigerian military commanders have complained that they are not getting the necessary equipment to fight Boko Haram because money budgeted for the army is going elsewhere. It is believed that the government has been diverting such cash to the PDP to boost its war chest ahead of the elections.

 With Nigeria's elections recently postponed by six weeks, Transparency International is concerned that the delay might threaten people’s right to vote. It added that the delay undermines democracy in the country and has called on the government to ensure the safety of voters at the polls.

 José Ugaz, the chairman of Transparency International, said: “Candidates for all parties have been successfully campaigning in some of the regions where insurgents are known to operate. Clearly the safety of Nigerians comes first and foremost but the government should also ensure that elections are held on time, are transparent and are free from fraud.

 "The government must also ensure that there is no political intimidation and no arrests during the run-up to the polls that would trigger violence. Most of eligible voters now have their new election cards, which will make attempts to rig the voting much harder than in the past.”

 Nigeria's presidential, senate and House of Representatives elections have been moved to March 28 from February 14, while state governorship and house of assembly polls have been shifted to April 11 from March 28. Transparency International has called on the government to commit to this timetable and not make any further changes.