One event, many narratives: (mis)representations in Nigerian political discourse

Abstract This study examines discourse structures and strategies employed by selected Nigerian socio-political actors to reconstruct a single dramatic event that involved Nigeria’s former President Muhammadu Buhari at the Argungu Fishing Festival in Kebbi State on 12th March, 2020. The data comprise excerpts from various statements of Messrs Nnamdi Kanu, Femi Adesina, Femi Fani-Kayode, Lai Mohammed and Jamilu Gunddare, which were drawn from newspaper reports of Daily Post , Premium Times and The Cable between 12th and 13th March, 2020. Using the socio-cognitive model of critical discourse analysis as a guide, the qualitative analysis revealed that different discourse structures and strategies in the texts formed three broad themes: verbal attacks, crisis management and exposé. While Kanu deployed metaphor, dysphemism and number game to portray the event as an attempted arrest of Buhari’s impostor, Fani-Kayode employed exaggeration, dysphemism and positive other-representation to reconstruct it as an attempted attack. However, through euphemism, dysphemism, vagueness and disclaimers, Adesina and Mohammed describe the event as an embrace, while Gunddare used positive self-representation, legitimisation, euphemism and disclaimer to explain his supposed positive intent. The study, therefore, concludes that Nigerian socio-political actors, like their global counterparts, do not present realities in public discourse but reproduce their personal/group ideologies.