POLITICAL COMMUNICATION AND THE USE OF DEIXIS: A STUDY OF PRESIDENT MUHAMMADU BUHARI’S 61ST INDEPENDENCE DAY SPEECH IN NIGERIA
Authors
Happiness Uduk
University of Uyo, Department of English
Author
Michael Gunn
University of Uyo, Department of English
Author
Keywords:
Deixis,
Political Communication,
Independence Day,
President Muhammadu Buhari
Abstract
This study aims at examining, qualitatively and quantitatively, the use of deictic features in President Buhari’s 1st of October 2021 speech on the occasion of Nigeria’s 61st Independence Day Anniversary. The study uses a pragmatic tool, deixis, to analyse the President’s speech. The data were analysed qualitatively. The speech was retrieved from the official website of the Online Vanguard Newspapers. Deictic features were identified and classified according to their types. The study reveals that President Buhari employed a total of 248 deictic features: personal deixis, spatial deixis, temporal deixis, social deixis and discourse deixis. The study concludes that President Buhari’s use of personal deixis depicts his oneness and desire to involve Nigerians in his decision-making process.
