Abstract

Words perform actions. Language and in fact words have different functions and according to the speech act theory of J.L Austin, utterances both written and spoken have a particular effect it should have on the listener. Many researchers have written on political campaign speeches and a universal trend in them - propaganda in Nigeria. The researcher feels that the related works previously done on the field of enquiry did not probe into the underlying intentions beneath the speaker’s mind neither did they succinctly address the effect the utterances make on the audience- the electorate. This makes the undertaking of this research important. The researcher also observed that the perlocutionary thrust of language use on the aspirants and the electorate with regard to campaign of calumny (propaganda) is yet to be fully studied. With this in mind, this study uses the Speech Act theory of J.L Austin to show that language has a great effect on both the voters and contestants as observed during the 2015 general election in Nigeria. This research takes into consideration most especially eight selected writings of party loyalists of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and All Progressive Congress (APC) during the 2015 presidential election. Data collected for this research spanned from the buildup of the campaign process in August 2014 to the eve of the elections in March 2015, feared in many quarters as the last Nigeria would ever had.

Key terms: perlocutionary thrust, propaganda, political writings, 2015 general election.

TABLE OF CONTENT

Title page i

Certification ii

Dedication iii

Acknowledgement iv

Abstract v

Table of content vi

1.0 CHAPTER ONE

1.1 Introduction 1

1.2 Statement of research problems 7

1.3 Objectives of research 10

1.4 Scope of Study 10

1.5 Expected Contributions to Knowledge 10

2.0 CHAPTER TWO

2.1 Party Politics in Nigeria 12

2.2 The Language of Political Campaigns as a Variety of Language. 14

2.3 Speech Act 16

2.4 Propaganda 19

2.4.1 Roots in the Catholic Church 21

2.4.2 Literacy Propagates Propaganda 21

2.4.3 War and Propaganda. 22

2.5 Digitization and the Media; Roles Played in dissemination of Propaganda 24

2.6 The Place of Propaganda in Politics

2.7 Rhetoric

2.8 Common Propaganda Techniques As Evidently Used In Nigeria 30

2.9 Theoretical Framework 34

2.9.1 Connecting the Three Speech–Acts 36

3.0 METHODOLOGY 37

4.0 ANALYSIS, FINDINGS AND DISCUSSIONS

4.1 Introduction

4.2 Analysis

5.0 SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION 5.1 Summary

5.2 Conclusion

5.3 Recommendations

REFERENCES