Style and National Integration: An Analysis of President Muhammadu Buhari's Post 2015 Presidential Election Speech

Abstract

Political speeches are usually characterised by special language features particularly for the emphasis of certain ideological stand and thematic preoccupation. This is true of post-election speeches, especially when the election is keenly contested and the political atmosphere is tensed. In view of this, this study examined the 2015 post-election victory speech of President Muhammadu Buhari. The study adopted both quantitative and qualitative approach to explore the stylistic components of the thematic concerns which foreground issues critical to the perception of the author of the speech (under review) to his understanding of governance and nationhood. The paper postulated that both users bound and situation bound factors influence the linguistic choice of the socio-political reality of Nigeria as depicted through a stylistic exploration of the speech. It concluded that the diction of the speech is carefully tailored to ensure national integration and cohesion across the political landscape of Nigeria.