A MORPHO- SEMANTIC ANALYSIS OF PRESIDENT BOLA AHMED TINUBU’S SPEECH AT PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN RALLY IN JOS

Abstract

This study conducts a morpho-semantic analysis of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s speech delivered during his Presidential Campaign Rally in Jos, with the aim to uncover the linguistic strategies employed by the speaker to shape certain political rhetoric and to influence public perception towards his election. The research utilizes Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) as its theoretical framework to examine how some morphological structures and semantic choices work together to construct meaning and support political agendas. Data were collected from the official transcript of Tinubu’s campaign speech and supplemented with contextual information from media reports and relevant literature. The analysis focuses on key themes, including unity, development, and security, employing qualitative methods to present and interpret the morpho-semantic elements within the speech. Findings reveal that Tinubu strategically employed affixation, compounding, and specific lexical choices to evoke emotional responses, convey urgency, and create a sense of solidarity among his audience. The interplay between morphology and semantics not only enhances the persuasive power of his rhetoric but also reinforces his vision for Nigeria's future, demonstrating the critical role of language in political discourse. This study contributes to the understanding of how linguistic elements shape political messages, thereby, filling some possible gap in existing research on morpho-semantics in political contexts.