A CRITICAL STYLISTIC ANALYSIS OF SELECTED DEMOCRATICALLY ELECTED GOVERNORS’ HANDING OVER SPEECHES IN GOMBE STATE

Abstract

This study dwelt on a Critical Stylistic Analysis of selected democratically elected Governors’ handing-over speeches in Gombe State where it examined how language is strategically used to form or shape political reality in handing-over speeches. Political handover addresses are often seen as routine ceremonial speech; however, they are ideologically loaded texts that reflect power relations, governance accounts, and continuity strategies. The problem that motivates this study was the tendency to treat such speeches as neutral, thereby overlooking the linguistic mechanisms through which leaders legitimize their administrations and influence public perception. Consequently, this study investigates how language choices in two selected speeches, Text 1 (Danjuma Goje, May 29, 2011) and Text 2 (Ibrahim H. Dankwambo, May 29, 2019), represent and shape reality beyond surface meanings. The study was anchored on Critical Stylistics as proposed by Jeffries (2010), which provided analytical tools for revealing ideological meanings in texts. A qualitative descriptive methodology was adopted, with data purposively selected and analyzed concurrently using textual-conceptual functions such as naming and describing, exemplifying and enumerating, implying and assuming, prioritising, and modality. The findings revealed that both speakers employ inclusive deixis, evaluative language, and extensive enumeration to form a positive image of governance, while challenges are minimized through strategic prioritisation. Additionally, modality and presupposition were used to project certainty and ensure continuity of leadership. The study finally concluded that handing-over speeches are discursive tools for asserting authority, forming collective perception, and sustaining political ideology.