Studies in Linguistics and Language Education
Volume 1, Numéro 2, Pages 114-124
2025-12-31
The Role Of Language In Political Campaigns: A Sociolinguistics Analysis Of Nigerian Election Rhetoric
Authors : Monday Emmanuel Pereowei .
Abstract
This study examines the role of language as a strategic tool in Nigerian political campaigns, with a focus on how rhetoric reflects and shapes sociocultural identities, power relations, and voter perceptions. Drawing on sociolinguistic frameworks of discourse analysis, the research explores how politicians employ code-switching, metaphor, proverbs, and vernacular expressions to appeal to diverse audiences in a multilingual society. Data were gathered from campaign speeches, media interviews, and political advertisements across recent election cycles. The analysis reveals that Nigerian political rhetoric is deeply rooted in sociolinguistic diversity, where the strategic use of English, Pidgin, and indigenous languages functions as a marker of solidarity, authority, and authenticity. Politicians exploit linguistic hybridity to navigate ethnic sensitivities, construct populist identities, and negotiate credibility across heterogeneous constituencies. I argue that language in Nigerian electioneering is not merely a vehicle of persuasion but a performative act of identity politics, reinforcing and contesting existing power structures. Ultimately, the research highlights that understanding the sociolinguistics of political discourse is key to decoding the ideological underpinnings and communicative tactics that drive electoral behavior in Nigeria’s democracy.
Keywords
Language, Political Campaign, Election, Sociolinguistics, Nigeria.
Les articles similaires
بوسالم أحلام
.
عابد يوسف
.
ص 117-132.
Yahia Zeghoudi
.
pages 74-88.
Boudis Naima
.
Baghdadi Assia
.
pages 1089-1112.
Said Houari Amel
.
pages 257-268.
