Political corruption in Postcolonial African Literary works: A post-coloniality study of selected Nigerian plays

Abstract

The goal of this study is to examine how political corruption is depicted in post-colonial literature, specifically in Altine's Wrath, Midnight Hotel and Harvest of Corruption. African literary artists, and African literary works produced during both colonial and post-colonial eras have been described by many critics as being based on nationalism, protest, and disillusionment. The texts contain the necessary elements of politics such as deception and victimisation. The study aims to close the gap on the devastating effects of political corruption in the post-colony by critically examining and analysing how the playwrights portray politics in the post-colony. The study adopts the qualitative textual analysis approach and post-coloniality theory in order to evaluate how politics is portrayed in the selected plays: Femi Osofisan's Altine's Wrath, (2002), and Midnight Hotel (1986), Ogbeche Frank Ogodo's Harvest of Corruption (2013). This study also aims to examine the devastating effects of political corruption in the post-colony. The findings reveal that forms of political corruption such as graft, nepotism, moral decadence, disillusionment and maladministration of public offices, as portrayed in the selected plays, have a negative influence on the general population. Political corruption affects the citizens who are mostly the less fortunate in society, causing economic loss, inefficiency, poverty, inequality, intimidation, and discomfort. Except for individuals who are a part of the corrupt network, everyone else may experience some sort of negative consequence. The findings also reveal that through satire, the playwrights are able to confront societal realities such as oppression, exploitation and resistance, and expose corrupt characters. They also reveal that post-coloniality theory in the selected plays is used to call for justice. The study concludes that the playwrights disapprove of the social injustice, corruption, and oppression that often puts a nation’s life in peril. The study recommends that there should be a call to action for individuals to speak up against corruption and fight for fairness in society.