LINGUISTIC STRATEGIES IN NIGERIAN PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN RHETORIC: A CORPUS-BASED COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF TINUBU, OBI, AND ATIKU'S 2023 CAMPAIGN SPEECHES

This study presents a corpus-based comparative analysis of linguistic strategies deployed in campaign speeches by Nigeria’s three major presidential candidates in the 2023 general elections: Bola Ahmed Tinubu (APC), Peter Gregory Obi (LP), and Atiku Abubakar (PDP). Using Jeffries’ (2010, 2014) Critical Stylistics framework, the research systematically examines three speeches delivered in different geopolitical zones—Rivers State (Tinubu), Niger State (Obi), and Ondo State (Atiku)—totaling approximately 940 words. Four primary linguistic features were analyzed through mixed-methods approach combining frequency analysis with qualitative interpretation: personal pronoun distribution, promissory language patterns, metaphorical constructions, and code-switching strategies. Findings reveal distinctive rhetorical profiles: Tinubu demonstrates audience-centered minimalism with high “you” frequency (55.6%) and minimal promissory commitment; Obi employs participatory visioning with balanced pronouns, intensive modal usage (23 instances), and construction metaphors; Atiku exhibits depersonalized pragmatism with zero “I” usage and concrete specifications. These patterns reflect divergent approaches to political identity construction within Nigeria’s multilingual democratic context, illuminating contemporary political communication strategies during a significant electoral moment.