Conversational Implicature and Leadership Expression in Niyi Osundare's The Leader and the Led and Blues for the New Senate King

This study explores the concept of conversational implicature and the expression of leadership in two of Niyi Osundare’s political poems, "The Leader and the Led" and "Blues for the New Senate King". Using Grice’s Conversational Implicature as the analytical framework the study highlights how Osundare communicates political criticism and leadership failures through poetic devices and linguistic choices. The research shows that Osundare both adheres to and flouts Grice’s Conversational maxims to deepen the communicative power of his poems. The findings reveal how language serves as a potent tool to expose leadership vices and advocate for integrity, accountability, and balance, in African societies.