Title:   A LINGUISTIC REFLECTION OF THE METAPHORICAL MEANING OF DEMOCRACY IN NIGERIA

Abstract
Nigeria is known as a country that practices democracy. However, certain
occurrences during the 2023 general election season question the authenticity
of the country's democratic state. The study, therefore, aimed to investigate
speeches made by prominent Nigerian politicians and stakeholders to discover
if the country practices true democracy. Data for the study were extracted from
ten politically related statements made by political, traditional, and religious
leaders towards the 2023 Nigerian general election. The statements were
sourced in Nigerian national dailies. The data were subjected to qualitative
analysis, using the Conceptual Metaphor Theory by Lakoff and Johnson as the
theoretical leaning. This theory postulates that metaphors exist in every
communication event and help the audience to understand what is
communicated. Hence, this theory formed the framework for analysing the
data to discover the meanings communicated in them. Findings revealed that
the statements depicted democracy as a government instituted by the people,
a government instituted by a divine force, and the government for the elites. As
a result, it is concluded that Nigeria is yet to practice true democracy and,
hence, recommendations were made towards encouraging political education
and awareness in the country.
Keywords: democracy in Nigeria, language use, conceptual metaphor, context.

Citations:

Publication Date: 2024-03-18