Language, Ideology and Power Dynamics: Reflections on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's 2023 Inaugural Speech

Abstract

Language, ideology and power constitute the main themes of Critical Discourse Analysis. Scholars working in the field of discourse have argued that political discourses such as campaigns, parliamentary debates and political speeches are enactments, legitimisation and (re)production of ideology and power relations in discourse. The aim of this paper is to analyse President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's 2023 inaugural speech from the context of Critical Discourse Analysis by investigating how competing ideologies and the dynamics of power are established and reinforced through language use. The study adopts Van Dijk‟s tripartite model of discourse, cognition and society, otherwise known as the Socio-Cognitive approach to Critical Discourse Analysis to interpret the linguistic, cognitive and social dimensions of discourse. A qualitative research paradigm was adopted in this study. Findings in the study showed that the author employed discursive structures such as pronominals and lexicalisation to demonstrate the polarity between in-group and out-group. Social structures in the text were indexed through polarisation, identification, self-description, norms and values, interest and activity. The dialectical relationship between discursive practices and social structures were mediated through mental models, attitudes and ideologies. The study concluded that by studying political discourse through the lens of Critical Discourse Analysis, one can uncover conflicting ideologies, social inequalities and asymmetrical power patterns embedded in discourse.