A PRAGMATIC STUDY OF BOLA TINUBU’S POLICY STATEMENTS

Abstract

Bola Ahmed Tinubu, a prominent figure in Nigerian politics and
Nigeria’s current President, has been renowned for his articulate
speeches that address various socio-political issues. His
communication style intertwines political rhetoric with pragmatic
strategies to effectively convey his intended message. Despite extensive
scholarly analysis of his speeches and texts from various perspectives,
little attention has been paid to the pragmatic strategies employed in
his policy statements. This study aims to fill this gap by studying ten
selected policy statements issued by him within his first year in office.
We aim to explicate the pragmatic strategies employed by Tinubu in
communicating policies and political agendas through an analysis of
the language used, with Speech Act theory as theoretical framework. In
addition, we seek to explore the reception and interpretation of his
policy statements among different stakeholders. The findings of this
study underscore the importance of pragmatics in decoding the true
meaning of political discourse. Tinubu's adept use of pragmatic
strategies reflects his keen understanding of the communicative
dynamics inherent in political speech.