Political Rhetoric and Sectarian Agitations: An Analysis of Goodluck Ebele Jonathan’s Speeches in Handling The Abduction of The Chibok School Girls
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17605/cajssh.v6i3.1187Keywords:
Boko Haram, Rhetoric, Rhetorical Canons, Rhetorical ProofsAbstract
Since 2009, the Federal Government of Nigeria has been engaged in war against Boko Haram terrorists. A high point of the war was the kidnapping of about 276 girls from Government Secondary School, Chibok by Boko Haram terrorists on 14th April, 2014. Political rhetoric has been found to play a key role in countering acts of terror, managing terrorism and its aftermath, seeking support from both citizens and the international community and building citizens’ confidence in a nation’s government and its military. It is against this backdrop that this study set out to undertake a rhetorical analysis of selected speeches by Goodluck Jonathan in handling the abduction of the Chibok School girls. The study was anchored on Austin (1962)’s speech act theory and the Neo-Aristotelian method of rhetorical criticism. Findings revealed that the rhetorical canons of inventio, disposito and memoria were effectively used by Goodluck Jonathan to highlight the devastating effect of Boko Haram’s acts of terror on the Nigerian populace and to make a plea for a unified front in tackling the menace. Pathos, a rhetorical proof, was significantly employed to draw support from the audience. The recommendation was on the need for the government to have a robust rhetorical strategy in place that can cater for sectarian agitations and exigencies such as the Boko Haram insurgency.
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