POLITICAL COMMUNICATION AND NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT- EVALUATION OF NIGERIAN PRESIDENTIAL RHETORICS AND PERFORMANCE IN NIGERIAN DEMOCRACY (1999-2015)
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- NGN 3000
Background to the Study
Rhetorics is a form of political communication that concerns the strategies used to construct persuasive arguments in formal public debates and in everyday political disputes. The study of political rhetorics therefore touches upon the fundamental activities of democratic politics which thrive purely on discussion, persuasion and deliberation (Kane & Patapan, 2010; Dryzek, 2010). Rhetorics could be seen as the life-wire of every sound democracy in any sane society. This may explains why the concept continue to resonate in global political communication studies (Babatunde and Odegbedan, 2009; Okpanachi 2009; Sarcaceni, 2003; Ruud, 2003; Ayeomoni, 2005; Yusuf, 2002; Van Dijk, 1997; 2004). Examining speeches specifically given by Presidents as forms of rhetorics has as well started gaining popularity among scholars, perhaps, owing to their importance in the political affair of a nation (Cheng, 2006). Such studies have also been growing in Nigerian political communication scholarship (Ayeomoni, 2005; Yusuf, 2002; Ayoola, 2005; Adetunji, 2009; Babatunde and Odegbedan, 2009; and Okpanachi 2009). In an established democracy, leaders therefore depend on rhetorics like presidential speech to declare their intentions and strategies to address certain human needs and or to express their contributions to humanity while in office. Research has shown that considerable portion of presidential rhetorics, like the Inaugural and Handover speeches that this dissertation studied are usually laden with promises and claims of different magnitude pertaining to different burning national issues (Van Dijk, 1993; Humphrey, 2014; Adjei, & Ewusi-Mensah, 2016). Humphrey (2014) specifically avers that “most Presidents present their vision of America and make their goals for the nation known in their inaugural address” (p. 36). Similarly, since Handover speech ought to be the last formal speech the former President presents to the countrymen and women at the expiration of his or her tenure, he/she is expected to present a summary of his stewardship: “achievements and failures, challenges faced, and the way forward, some suggestions for the incoming government, and a thank you message to the entire citizenry” (Adjei, & Ewusi-Mensah, 4 2016, p. 36). This means presidential Inaugural and Handover speeches ought to reflect the general state of things in a given society per time. Given the backward nature of Africa and Nigeria in particular therefore, one will expect that their presidential Inaugural and Handover speeches should capture both the development yearnings and aspirations of the nation as well as their stewardship on same per time. It therefore became pertinent to explore the Nigerian Inaugural and Handover speeches to ascertain Nigerian Presidents’ narratives on national development within the period in question. Although opinion may differ on why and the extent to which Nigeria remains underdeveloped, there appears to be a general consensus that the country has not reached the point she ought to be as seen in most of her development scorecards in spite of her abundant human and natural resources (Dunu, Onoja, and Asogwa, 2017). Research has shown that several decades after the end of colonialism and huge earning from crude oil, the country continue to parade some of the poorest human development indicators across the globe (Suberu, 2007). Some of the underdevelopment features of the country are high poverty rate, lack of basic infrastructural facilities in all sectors of the economy, unemployment, high mortality rate, political instability and insecurity of lives and property, bourgeoning domestic and foreign debt, abysmal health and educational services, and attendant social frustration and unrest (Ikenna, 2009; UNDP 2019; WHO, 2019; The Vanguard, 2019). Interestingly, a cursory look at the past Nigerian Presidents’ rhetorics upon assumption of office suggests that development remains one of the major reasons offered by the military leaders like Major General Aguiyi-Ironsi, General Yakubu Gowon, General Muritala Mohammad/General Olusegun Obasanjo, General Muhammadu Buhari, General Ibrahim Badamasu Babangida, General Sani Abacha, and General Abdulsalami Abubakar for their foray into Nigerian politics. It is also one of the catchphrases Nigerian civilian leaders like Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe/Alhaji Tafawa Balewa, Alhaji Shehu Shagari, Chief Ernest Shonekan, President Olusegun Obasanjo, 5 Alhaji Musa Yar’adua, Dr. Ebelle Goodluck Jonathan and the sitting President Muhammadu Buhari often greeted the nation with when taking their oath of office. For instance, during his swearing-in in 1999, former President Olusegun Obasanjo said his administration would improve on agriculture, security, infrastructure, and education; fight corruption, and poverty; as well as create jobs for Nigerian youths among others. Similarly, during his swearing-in in 2007, Late President Umar Musa Yar’Adua promised among others to focus on Seven Point Development Agenda that would tackle the Niger Delta unrest, address poverty, improve public health, intensify war against corruption, and revive education. After taking the oath of office in 2011, former President Goodluck Ebelle Jonathan also promised a transformative government with focus on uniting the nation and improving the living standards of all the peoples, growing the economy, creating jobs, promoting made-in- Nigerian products, reforming the financial sector, rebuilding infrastructure, creating greater access to quality education and improved health care delivery, reforming agricultural sector, fighting corruption, and democratizing the nation’s politics. The same applies to the current President Muhammadu Buhari’s 2015 popular slogan of “...I belong to nobody, I belong to everybody”. In the Inaugural speech and under his change mantra, President Buhari said his administration would attack the problem of unemployment frontally; fight corruption; revive major industries and accelerate the revival and development of the nation’s railways, roads and general infrastructure among others things. As peculiar with successful democratic regime across the world, traces of claims to national development or recount of stewardship also abound in their Handover speeches. For instance, in his 2007 handover speech, former President Olusegun Obasanjo claimed among others that his administration revived national image; deepened democracy; reformed the economy; strengthened the nation’s financial independence; enhanced infrastructure; improved science and technology, agricultural production and food security; industrialized the country; and curbed 6 corruption. Also while handing over to President Muhammadu Buhari in 2015, former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan claimed that his administration among other things improved the security of lives and properties; strengthened democracy; improved the economy; improved the quality and quantum of infrastructure; reformed the financial sector; created jobs; promoted industrialization; and reformed the agricultural sector (Jonathan, 2015). The above promises and claims may suggests that Nigerian Presidents were in tune with the country’s development challenges and would have acknowledged same in both their inaugural and handover speeches. But do the rhetorics reflect the true state of national development in the country? This question became necessary in view of the worsening development situation in the country within the last two decades as seen in most of the available statistics and independent data (World Bank, 2006; 2013a; 2013b, 2014; UNDP Human Development Index Report, 2013; UNRISD Report, 2010; UNDP 2019; WHO, 2019; The Vanguard, 2019). The thrust of this dissertation therefore was to deconstruct Nigerian presidential Inaugural and Handover speeches with the view to ascertain their discourse and performance on national development as well as the truthfulness of their narratives looking at the national development reality within the period under investigation.
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