LANGUAGE, POWER AND POLITICAL PERSUASION: A CRITICAL DISCOURSE ANALYSIS OF THE 2023 DELTA STATE GUBERNATORIAL CAMPAIGN SPEECHES

Abstract

Political campaign speeches remain among the most powerful instruments through which politicians negotiate authority, shape ideological consciousness, and persuade electorates in democratic societies. This study critically examines the discourse strategies employed by gubernatorial candidates during the 2023 Delta State gubernatorial election in Nigeria. Anchored on Critical Discourse Theory as advanced by Norman Fairclough and Teun A. van Dijk, the study investigates how language was strategically deployed to construct political identities, legitimize authority, frame opponents, and reflect broader socio-political realities within Delta State.The study adopts a qualitative research design and purposely selects campaign speeches from candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), All Progressives Congress (APC), and Labour Party (LP). Data were sourced from televised broadcasts, YouTube campaign videos, and official political media platforms and analyzed using Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA). Findings reveal that the candidates employed rhetorical devices such as repetition, slogans, rhetorical questions, emotional appeals, and strategic lexical choices to shape voter perception and reinforce ideological positioning. The analysis further reveals that campaign discourse reflected competing narratives surrounding governance, accountability, continuity, economic revitalization, inclusive, and political legitimacy. The study concludes that political language functions not merely as communication but as a mechanism for constructing authority, negotiating power, and shaping ideological consciousness within democratic politics.