Ayo Osisanwo CJLS 8(2), 2020

Covenant Journal of Language Studies (CJLS) Vol. 8 No. 2, December, 2020 ISSN: p. 2354-3582 e. 2354-3523

An Open Access Journal Available Online

Responsibilisation and Discourse: A Study of the Nigerian 2019 Election Postponement Speech of INEC Chairman

Ayo Osisanwo University of Ibadan, Ibadan,

Received: June 1, 2020; Accepted: October 23, 2020 Date of Publication: December, 2020

Abstract: This paper identifies the discourse strategies and constructions in the representation of the postponement of the 2019 general elections in Nigeria. The INEC Chairman’s speech of the postponement shows how the electoral umpire ‘responsibilise’ involvements in the postponement of the Nigerian electoral project. Guided by aspects of Caffi’s deresponsibilisation and responsibilisation, and Hyland’s Stance theory, this paper subjects the 1624-word speech to discourse analysis. The analysis of the data revealed that there were two main constructions of the 2019 general elections postponement namely commitment to a successful electoral conduct and logistical challenges. The constructions were achieved through six discourse strategies: historical reference to antecedent success, emotional appeal and blackmail, self-glorification, blame avoidance and attribution, assuring and reassuring of control, and creating common ground. The INEC Chairman weakens excessive responsibility in order to safeguard his honour. Keywords: Deresponsibilisation and Responsibilisation, Independent National Electoral Commission, Speechmaking, Election Postponement, 2019 General Elections in Nigeria

Introduction goals in different speeches such as acceptance speeches, inaugural speeches or Speechmaking as an art has become part of farewell speeches. The social or political the practice associated with political actors actors are influential people, that play a vital across the world. Suffice it to say that role in shaping issues in society and setting political leaders and actors alike use the boundaries of what is talked about and language to pursue their political agenda. how it is talked about (Henry and Tator, According to the Association of American 2002; Taiwo, 2008). Colleges and Universities, there are a core set of skills that are necessary ‘both for a Language scholars have emphasised the role globally engaged democracy and for a of context in language and the role of dynamic innovation fueled economy’ language in politics and elections. (Rhodes, 2010, p. 10), and speechmaking, According to Engholm (1965 cited in with particular reference to public speaking, Adeyanju (2002: 532), language is the key is listed as one of these core skills. Political to the heart of the people, if you lose it, you actors attempt to deploy the appropriate lose the people, if you keep it safe, it language usage to achieve their desired

1 Ayo Osisanwo CJLS 8(2), 2020 unlocks the people’s heart. Crystal (1987:2) From van Dijk’s submission, it can be observes that ‘since the use of language in argued that the speech of the INEC politics can easily hurt if it is unfeelingly Chairman cannot be said to be ideologically attacked, the user has to be conscious of its neutral. Hence, some questions are function as a public behaviour so that it is considered paramount to drive this study. easy for different usages to be noted’. What discourse strategies and ideological Language, which is used to drive the intent constructions have been deployed by the of the political actors to the heart of the INEC Chairman to represent the electorate, plays a significant role in postponement of the 2019 general elections political mobilisation. Politics involves in Nigeria? To what extent has the electoral wielding power and political actions are umpire responsibilised or deresponsibilised enacted through discursive formations (van involvement in the postponement of the Dijk, 2001). Van Dijk (2006:728) also 2019 general elections through ideological asserts that ‘politics is one of the social means? Thus, the aim of this paper is to domains whose practices are virtually identify the discourse strategies and exclusively discursive.’ The different constructions in the representation of the discursive choices made by the political postponement of the 2019 general elections actors, therefore, are consciously crafted in in Nigeria, and examine how the electoral order to persuade and convince the umpire ideologically responsibilises or electorate to belong to their camp. deresponsibilises involvement in the postponement. Political discourses can be broadly viewed as discourses that relate to political or Responsibilisation and electoral views. Van Dijk (2006:732-733) Deresponsibilisation argues that political discourse is defined in The introduction of the terms terms of political contexts; and that it is not “deresponsibilisation” and enough to observe that political discourse “responsibilisation” has been attributed to often features the renowned ‘political’ Caffi (2002, 2007). Respectively, the terms pronoun we, it is also vital to relate such use refer to the conceptualisation of uncertainty to such categories as who is speaking, when, and certainty in reports, events or utterances. where and with/to whom, that is, to specific In Caffi’s (2002:118) description, aspects of the political situation. In his “deresponsibilisation”, that is, paper, Politics, Ideology and Discourse, van “deresponsabilzzazione” or Dijk (2006:732) proposes a valuable “deresponsibilities” (2007:159), has to do framework for political discourse analysis with the act of avoiding responsibility, or a thus: ‘the social organisation of the field of text associated with “weakened politics, and hence of politicians and responsibility” (Caffi, 2007: 67). political groups, is largely based on Deresponsibilisation is achieved when a ideological differences, alliances, and speaker or rhetor consciously and or similarities. The overall organisation of deliberately avoids conflict, uses social beliefs as struggle between the left indirectness, deploys politeness-induced and the right is the result of the underlying vagueness, which Caffi (2002, 2007) polarisation of political ideologies that have labelled as “bush.” Deresponsibilisation, as permeated society as a whole. Elections, explained by Mey (forthcoming: 13) and parliaments, political campaigns, (Odebunmi, 2019), expresses certainty by propaganda, demonstrations, and many other the deployment of modified voices and phenomena of the political field are thus unclear choice of words. It “connotes the profoundly ideological,” and are reflective non-attributability of the ‘voices’ involved in some forms of political speeches. in uttering or writing” (Mey, forthcoming: 6). In other words, deresponsibilisation has 2 Ayo Osisanwo CJLS 8(2), 2020 to do with utterances that do not clearly This commission, which has evolved under commit the speaker or writer to the certainty different names, has conducted at least eight of a proposition. Responsibilisation, on the presidential elections in Nigeria, in the years other hand, has to do with the clear, 1979, 1993, 1999, 2003, 2007, 2011, 2015 unequivocal locution which directly and 2019. commits the speaker or rhetor to the During general elections in Nigeria, six certainty of their propositions. different elections are conducted within two Responsibilisation is seen in texts, speeches weeks. In the first week, three elections are or utterances devoid of hedges. It does not conducted – the Presidential, and the House convey information through another of Assembly elections. 109 senators elected utterer’s voice or the evocation of another across the 109 senatorial districts of the person’s authority. country and 360 members of the House of Representative. On a fortnight from the previous election, three other elections are Elections and the Electoral Commission held, namely the gubernatorial elections and the state House of Assembly and local in Nigeria government elections. Postponement of elections in Nigeria dates Nigeria gained its independence from back to 2011, when a parliamentary British rule in 1960 and was led by Dr. election that was to be held on April 2, was Nnamdi Azikiwe as the first President. postponed by two days to April 4, 2011. Nigeria has experienced three types of Also, the presidential election was shifted government from 1960 to 2015. From 1960 from April 9 to April 16. In 2015, the to 1966, it had a ceremonial government; general election was originally scheduled to from 1966-1979 and 1983-1999 Nigeria was hold on 14 February, but was postponed to ruled by military administrators. The 28 March for the presidential, senatorial and civilian government was voted to power house of representatives, while those of the from October 1, 1979 to December 31, 1983 governorship and state house of assemblies and May 29, 1999 to 2015, and remains in were postponed to 11 April 2015. In 2019, power from 2015 to date. There was also an the presidential and national assembly interim government of three months in 1993 elections were scheduled for 16 February (August – November). Under the 2019, while the governorship and state democratic government, especially since house of assemblies were scheduled for 2 1999, Nigeria became a Federal Republic March 2019. The elections were postponed with a democratically elected government by one week due to what INEC described as made up of three separate arms: executive, operational challenges. The elections were legislative and judiciary. Nigeria has been rescheduled for 23 February and 9 March, governed by the military for twenty-nine 2019. years since independence. The country has only had the privilege of a little over twenty years in a democratic dispensation. In a Electoral Commissions in Nigeria democracy, a leader is voted to power by the electorate. The electorate is often made up of registered voters of a particular electoral The origin of electoral bodies in Nigeria zone who are up to 18 years of age. Such dates back to the period before elections, as in Nigeria are conducted by an Independence when the Electoral independent electoral body. In Nigeria, the Commission of Nigeria (ECN) was electoral body is known as ‘Independent established to conduct the 1959 elections. National Electoral Commission,’ or INEC. The Commission headed by Chief Eyo Esua, 3 Ayo Osisanwo CJLS 8(2), 2020 conducted the immediate post-independence nominations of Guobadia and Iwu were federal and regional elections of 1964 and approved by the Senate. When the tenure of 1965 respectively. The military coup of Jega expired in June, 2015, President 1966 led to the dissolution of the electoral nominated and got the body. In 1978, the Military regime of Senate’s approval of Senate for the General constituted a appointment of the current Chairman, new Federal Electoral Commission Professor . (FEDECO) headed by Chief Michael Ani, who was succeeded by Justice Victor Ovie Whisky to organise the elections of 1979. Literature Review These elections ushered in the Second

Republic under the leadership of Alhaji Shehu Shagari. FEDECO also conducted the The political landscape within and outside general elections of 1983. Nigeria has enjoyed scholarly attention from practitioners in the social sciences and During the General Ibrahim Babangida humanities, such as political scientists, government, the National Electoral linguists, sociologists, cultural Commission (NEC) of Nigeria was anthropologists and psychologists. constituted and was headed by Professor Evidently, linguists and discourse analysts, Eme Awa (1987–1989) and Professor among others have also given sufficient (1989–1993). In attention to the examination of discourses on December 1995, the military administration politics and elections. Meanwhile, previous headed by General Sani Abacha, which works on (presidential) election discourse earlier dissolved NEC in 1993, established have focused mainly on inaugural and the National Electoral Commission of victory speeches (Slagell, 1991; Zhang & Nigeria (NECON), which was headed by Mingxia, 2009; Vastermark, 2007; Irimiea, Professor Okon Uya and Chief Summer 2010; Sharndama, 2015, Osisanwo 2016a), Dagogo Jack (1994–1998). The campaign manifestos (Ademilokun & Commission conducted another set of Taiwo, 2013; Taiwo, 2014; Aduradola & elections. However, the elected institutions Ojukwu, 2013; Ugwu, 2013; Nartay & were not inaugurated before the sudden Yankson, 2014), and concession speeches death of General Abacha, on June 8, 1998. (Corcoran, 1994; Ademilokun, 2016; The current and longest-serving Osisanwo & Chinaguh, 2018). Other commission, the Independent National discourse studies have examined, among Electoral Commission (INEC), was others, (media) electoral discourses established in 1998 when General (Pengsun & Fenfeng, 2013; Wei, 2001; Abdulsalam Abubakar’s Administration Opeibi, 2007; Osisanwo 2011, Oyeleye and assumed power and dissolved NECON. Osisanwo 2013a and 2013b; Osisanwo Since the establishment of INEC, the 2016b) advertisement and campaign Commission has been led by different discourses of Nigerian political parties people. First, it was Justice (Adegoju 2005; Opeibi 2009; Osisanwo (1998-2000). Upon the death of Akpata in 2011, Akinwale and Adegoju 2012; 2000, President Obasanjo appointed Abel Ademilokun and Taiwo 2013), political Guobadia (2000-2005). When Guobadia interviews and debates (Odebunmi 2009), retired in 2005, President Obasanjo political speeches of past Nigerian leaders appointed Professor (2005- (Awonuga 1988; Oha 1994; Ayeomoni 2010). Upon the expiration of Iwu’s tenure, 2007; Alo and Igwebuike 2009). However, President nominated there is no emphasis on election Professor Attahiru Muhammadu Jega (2010- postponement discourse. Hence, this paper 2015) as the new INEC Chairman. The examines the constructions and discourse 4 Ayo Osisanwo CJLS 8(2), 2020 strategies used in the INEC Chairman’s stance in evaluating the roles of social actors speech on the postponement of the 2019 in #BringBackOurGirls campaign discourse. general elections in Nigeria in order to In relation to the data for this study, the identify how the electoral umpire INEC chairman deploys different stance ‘responsibilise’ and ‘deresponsibilise’ elements to responsibilise or involvements in the postponement of the deresponsibilise his involvement. Nigerian electoral project.

Methodology

This paper aims to examine a plethora of

discourses, practices and techniques, relating

to the speech of the INEC Chairman on the Theoretical Perspective postponement of the 2019 general elections,

which are underpinned by presumptions of The arguments in the speech of the INEC self ‘autonomisation’ and Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu ‘responsibilisation.’ Guided by aspects of (henceforth PMY) on the postponement of Caffi’s deresponsibilisation and the 2019 general elections in Nigeria invite a responsibilisation, and Hyland’s stance combination of the theoretical concepts of framework, this paper subjects the 1624- deresponsibilisation and responsibilisation, word speech to discourse analysis. Some of and stance as framework. such discourses show how PMY

‘responsibilises’ or ‘deresponsibilises’ his Stance Framework individual involvement in the Nigerian

project, thereby canvasing for trust from Stance and engagement framework serves as Nigerians and the need to be calm and trust a complementary analytical guide for this study. According to Hyland (2005:176), the INEC under his headship. The stance expresses a textual ‘voice’ or analysis, which is top-down, is organised community recognised personality. Stance around two main constructions and six refers to the ways speakers, writers or discourse strategies. discourse participants present themselves and convey their judgments, opinions, and Analysis and Findings commitments about a particular topic. It is the ways that writers intrude to stamp their The analysis of the data reveals that there personal authority onto their arguments. were two main constructions on the 2019 According to Biber and Finnegan postponement of the general elections: (1989:124), stance is ‘the lexical and commitment to a successful electoral grammatical expression of attitudes, conduct and logistical challenges. The feelings, judgments or commitment logistical challenges bifurcate into two other concerning the propositional content of a sub-constructions: natural and human- message’. Other scholars have used words induced disruptions. The natural disruption such as appraisal, attitude, evaluation, refers to natural occurrence like bad among others, to represent the concept of weather, while the human-induced stance. The key resources which realise disruptions are as a result of court judgments stance are otherwise known as elements of and fire disasters. The constructions were stance; and as identified by Hyland, they are achieved through six discourse strategies: Hedges, Boosters, Attitude markers and reference to antecedent-success, emotional Self-mention. Among other scholars, appeal/blackmail, self-glorification, blame Chiluwa and Ifukor (2015) have applied avoidance/allocation, assuring/reassuring of 5 Ayo Osisanwo CJLS 8(2), 2020 control, and creating common ground. The The second paragraph begins with the use of next subsection presents the examination historical reference, where PMY takes and explanation of the findings. Nigerians down the memory lane, reminding them of the new beginnings since 2011 thus:

Commitment to Successful Electoral Conduct Nigerians will recall that when this Commission was appointed in November 2015, The first striking construction in the first we promised Nigerians two paragraph of the speech is the chairman’s cardinal things. First, we acclaimed commitment to electoral success. shall work hard to Defending the reason for the postponement consolidate the improvements of the election, PMY draws on his avowed made in the management of commitment. In the first sentence: About elections in Nigeria since thirteen hours ago, I conveyed to Nigerians 2011. Secondly, we shall the decision of the Independent National always be open, transparent Electoral Commission (INEC) to reschedule and responsive. We have the 2019 general elections by one week. strived diligently to keep PMY begins by using the self-mention these promises in very trying element of Stance, “I” to responsiblise his circumstances. role and present the discoursal self as the Chairman of INEC who should convey the decision. In the same sentence, he goes The paragraph is dominated with attitude further to deresponsiblise his role by markers to responsibilise the Commission’s systematically weakening his responsibility promise and commitment to successful and involvement in the postponement. He electoral conduct. Attitude is mainly does this by generalising the decision; that expressed through the participant’s choice of is, the postponement was a collective verbs, adverbs and adjectives to convey decision of INEC. To further convey his affect in his appraisal (Martin 2000) of the judgment, opinion and commitment to the discourse in order to both take a stand and Nigerian project, PMY quickly hedges his align self with others’ propositions and speech with a booster element using the discourses. Hence, PMY uses words and discourse strategy of emotional appeal to expressions such as “work hard,” Nigerians with the adjective, “painful” in the “consolidate,” “improvements,” “open”, expression, The one-week adjustment was a “transparent,” “responsive,” and “diligently” painful one for INEC but necessary in the as appraisal techniques to depict the overall interest of our democracy. The use acclaimed commitment. Meanwhile, the of ‘a painful one’ and ‘overall interest of our particular reference to 2011 and 2015 democracy’ also has the elements of stance elections portrays Professor ’s as it reflects the affective attitude of PMY to tenure as the period which heralded major the postponement. Attitude markers indicate improvements to the electoral process in the writer’s affective response to Nigeria. propositions, in order to convey surprise, To further express the commitment of the agreement, importance, and frustration. The commission to the postponement under his use of the inclusive pronoun “our” in the watch, PMY uses inclusive phrase “our democracy” indicates that PMY responsibilisation – our promise – is included in the Nigerian project. accompanied with the discourse strategy of self-praise thus: In keeping with our 6 Ayo Osisanwo CJLS 8(2), 2020 promise to consolidate the gains of the last and mark involvement with the topic and two electoral cycles, the Commission has solidarity with readers (Hyland, 2008). In conducted 195 rerun and off-season the speech, PMY takes positions that show elections across the country since the last finality and the extent of the Commission’s general elections. To implicate the preparedness despite the postponement. assurances that the Commission is not a Using discourse strategies like emotional failure, PMY’s speech reveals that: Most of appeal and blame avoidance, PMY discusses these elections have been generally his conviction on what the Commission had adjudged to show progressive improvements achieved before the postponement in order in planning, execution and to assure Nigerians of the workability of the outcomes. However, while PMY one-week postponement and gain their trust. responsibilises the success of the In the paragraphs, PMY tries to convince Commission in organising elections, he Nigerians with the use of adverbs of manner deresponsibilises the historical antecedents and degree to express the how and what the and backgrounds of the said success, and extent of preparedness of the Commission uses indirectness and totally excludes those is. According to him, their goal is to plan who have made such judgments of carefully, to execute meticulously. In progressive improvements. addition, they began the planning quite early, and they carefully followed the The fourth and fifth paragraphs of the timetable. Some of the choices also show the speech have a preponderant use of boosters, use of attitude markers. The Chairman attitude markers and self-mention pronouns deploys attitude markers to indicate to responsibilise and deresponsibilise affective attitude to convey the importance involvement, using the self-glorification and of the Commission’s actions and self-praise discourse strategies. In both commitment to the success of the elections. paragraphs, PMY gives account of the He shows this through his choice of nouns successes the Commission has made under (e.g., Strategic Plan, Strategic Programme his leadership. The Chairman uses the first- of Action, Election Project Plan, person pronouns and possessive adjectives commitment, goal) and verbs (e.g., to present information, and the voice of the registered, prepared, printed, delivered). Commission. He also uses the self-mention The Chairman further uses boosters to show stance to present the discoursal self – INEC certainty in his appraisal of the and its success so far in order to project an Commission’s activities by giving the impression and the stance of self in relation statistical presentation of facts thus: Within a to his arguments. In the speech, there is also period of 16 months, we registered over 14 the use of the singular pronoun “I”, which million Nigerians as new voters, collecting PMY uses to project his personal opinion on their names…and their entire ten the success of the electoral conduct. There fingerprints... I should note that of the 14.28 is also the use of the inclusive pronoun “we” million Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs) and the possessive “our” to show solidarity made available for collection, about 10.87 and oneness, and responsibilise the million or 76.12% have been collected. achievements of the members of the Commission thus: our preparations, our Likewise, in paragraph 6, he says: goal, we announced, we began, we subsequently issued, we carefully followed, Not only we have we kept to, we have, we registered, we recruited and trained about prepared, I should note. 1 million young people…, the Commission has In the same vein, PMY deploys boosters as printed 421.7 million devices to express certainty in what is said ballot papers for six 7 Ayo Osisanwo CJLS 8(2), 2020 scheduled elections, as we have had our own fair share of such well as 13.6 million leaves challenges. PMY uses the discourse strategy of result forms for the of historical reference to deresponsibilise the Presidential election alone. Commission’s ineffectiveness, and the Indeed, managing 91 discourse strategy of creating common political parties and ground between the Commission and the 23,316 candidates for electorate to share the perceived blame of whom votes will be cast in ineffectiveness as an inherent feature of 119,973 polling units by elections in Nigeria thus: There has been over 84 million voters is delays in delivering ballot papers and result certainly astounding. sheets for the elections which is not unusual. The use of which is not unusual implicates In paragraph 6, PMY uses emotional the previous administrations as equally blackmail as a discourse strategy to invite guilty of such a failure. Nevertheless, the Nigerians to pity INEC, to accept and agree use of the inclusive “we” and “our” in the with the Commission that the postponement shared blame responsibilises the was legitimate. According to him: It is often Commission, personally deresponsibilises not appreciated the magnitude of activities the blame to PMY. that the Commission undertakes during general elections. This calls Nigerians to The Chairman ideologically emphasises and question on the need to empathise with the associates the exclusive self-mention “I” to Commission, bearing in mind the success responsiblise the achievement of the achieved so far. The Chairman together with Commission despite its challenges; thus: his Commission responsibilises the “…, 1 must emphasize that all the ballot achievement they assume to have made. papers and result sheets were ready before the elections despite the very tight legal timeframe for finalizing nomination of candidates and dealing with the spate of Operational and Logistical Challenges legal challenges that accompany it.” The second construction of the reason for One of the human-induced sub-constructions the postponement, as contained in which accounted for the logistical paragraphs 7-12 of the speech are the challenges was court orders on the inclusion operational and logistic challenges. The of politicians or their political parties in the challenges include bad weather, fire disaster ballot papers. As stated in the speech: and numerous court orders on the inclusion of some politicians and their political parties the Commission has been in the ballot papers. sued or joined in over 640 court cases arising from The Chairman begins the seventh paragraph the nomination of by acknowledging how difficult it was to candidates. As at today, organise general elections in Nigeria due to there are 40 different court the operational and logistics challenges. orders against the According to him: It is therefore not Commission on whether to unexpected that such a tremendous national add or drop candidates. mobilization of men and materials will The net effect of these is encounter operational challenges. He that there is usually generalises the failure as a recurring roughly a one-month decimal, which is not peculiar to his window for the leadership. The Chairman goes further to Commission to print ballot responsibilise his regime’s failure thus: and papers and result sheets 8 Ayo Osisanwo CJLS 8(2), 2020 and either fly or transport we had to deal with them to several serious fire incidents in destinations until they three of our offices in finally get to each polling Isiala Ngwa South Local unit. Government Area of Abia State, Qu‘an Pan Local Government Area of The evidential statistical enumeration of 640 Plateau State and our court cases and 40 court orders Anambra State Office at deresponsibilises the Commission as Awka. In all three cases, responsible for the postponement, and serious disruptions were responsibilises the politician-plaintiff and occasioned by the fire, their defendant, and the courts giving late- further diverting our hour judgments on including specific attention from regular candidates as the reasons for the preparations to recovery postponement. The blame attribution from the impact of the strategy calls for emotional response from incidents. In Isiala Ngwa Nigerians for the Commission. South, hundreds of PVCs were burnt, necessitating Similarly, in paragraph 7, the Chairman goes the recompiling of the further to identify another factor associated affected cards and with logistical challenges – natural cause reprinting in time to (the bad weather), thereby ensure that the affected deresponsibilising his role and that of the voters are not Commission since it is a natural occurrence, disenfranchised. I am glad which is beyond the control of any human. that all the cards were Bad weather hindered the movement of quickly reprinted and sensitive and non-sensitive materials from made available for one location to the other as they disrupted collection by their owners. air travel within the country. According to PMY, Unfortunately, in the last one week, flights within the country have been In this speech sample, PMY deploys adversely affected by bad weather. For different stance elements – hedging, instance, three days ago, we were unable to boosters, attitude markers and self-mention, deliver materials to some locations due to accompanied with discourse strategies like bad weather. The strategies of blame-shift emotional appeal, creating common ground from self to others and blame avoidance to between the commission and the electorate, self, attempt to present the Commission in allocating blame to the saboteurs, assuring good light to the electorate. and reassuring the electorate. In paragraphs 8-10, PMY identifies another The Chairman begins with the use of the human-induced factor that forced the hands inclusive “we” to indicate collective of the Commission to resort to responsibility and shared suffering. In the postponement by a week – that of same vein, PMY deploys boosters as devices “saboteurs,” as the Chairman describes to express certainty of what the Chairman them: said and his involvement with the topic and We also faced what may solidarity with readers (Hyland, 2008). In well be attempts to the speech, PMY takes positions that show sabotage our preparations. finality and the extent of the destructive In a space of two weeks, effects of the fire disaster on the 9 Ayo Osisanwo CJLS 8(2), 2020 Commission with the use of adverb quickly. strategy since all the logistical issues could Some of the choices also depict the use of not be resolved within 24 hours. attitude markers. PMY also deploys attitude markers to indicate affective attitude in In like manner, and almost most order to convey surprise, and frustration, as importantly, PMY in paragraphs 10 and 12 expressed through his choice of nouns, like identifies that the Commission had to fire incidents, which took place in real replace the destroyed over 4,600 Smart Card locations as identified in the speech using Readers, which were to be used for the proper nouns like Isiala Ngwa South Local elections. According to PMY: Government Area of Abia State, Qu‘an Pan While the Commission Local Government Area of Plateau State and was considering the Awka Office in Anambra State. Other nouns following Monday 18th which underscore the act included February 2019 as an disruptions, the fire and so forth, verbs (e.g., option, our lCT burnt, reprinted), adjectives (e.g. serious) to Department advised us convey affect in his appraisal of the fire that it would require 5-6 incident. PMY further conveys affect days to reconfigure about through the methodical and explicit 180,000 Smart Card itemisation of the Commission’s losses, Readers earlier inviting pity from Nigerians. He concludes programmed to work only the paragraph by using the self-mention on election day Saturday exclusive “I” in I am glad that all the cards 16th February 2019. It is were… for self-praise to present the for this reason that the discoursal self and responsibilise to himself Commission decided to the achievement of quickly reprinting and adjust the election dates to making the voters cards available to the Saturday 23rd February owners, and ensuring that the qualified 2019 for Presidential and electorate are not disenfranchised. National Assembly elections and a In the next paragraph (9), PMY switches to consequential adjustment the inclusive “we” in order not to entirely of Governorship, State personalise the responsibilised self by Assembly and FCT Area generalising the achievements of INEC to Council elections to the activities of the Commission thus: We Saturday 9th March 2019. recovered quickly and have since replaced everything destroyed. In addition, we secured a suitable building from which to The Chairman emphasises the need for a conduct the elections. No doubt, the successful electoral conduct as a strong construction is equally meant to pacify the reason for the postponement. He further electorate, assure all of the Commission’s justifies the week-long postponement as a preparedness and justify the need for the necessary requirement for a successful one-week-long postponement. Meanwhile, election. In the remaining paragraphs 13-17, having identified the logistical challenges PMY uses both responsibilisation and that the Commission has been facing, in deresponsibilisation discourse strategies paragraphs 11 and 12, PMY negotiates with such as blame-share, assuring and reassuring the electorate and Nigerians in general, to attempt to gain the trust of Nigerians that stating his avowed commitment to free, fair some sensitive materials have been and credible elections. He further constructs distributed. However, all such materials the postponement as a failure-forestalling have been retrieved and will be taken back

10 Ayo Osisanwo CJLS 8(2), 2020 to custody of the Central Bank of Nigeria. Reference to antecedent-success, emotional He also requests the trust of Nigerians that, I appeal and blackmail, self-glorification and want to assure you that there will be proper self-praise, blame avoidance and allocation, audit to account for all materials, in order assuring and reassuring of control, and not to discredit the new date. To further creating common ground are the six prove the competence level of the discourse strategies deployed to achieve the Commission to the electorate, PMY two constructions. produces the check-list of different activities within the one week. Confronted with the challenge of convincing and communicating with the electorate that On a final note, PMY appeals to Nigerians INEC is still in charge and discharges the and all other stakeholders in what has been electoral task appropriately despite the a very difficult decision for the Commission disappointing last-minute postponement, the deresponsibilising the postponement to INEC Chairman responsibilises and himself and responsibilising same to the deresponsibilises his involvement as deemed Commission, and drawing on common appropriate in taking stances on the ground and assuring discourse strategies to postponement discourse. Hence, the present convince Nigerians, using the inclusive paper, equally, deploys Claudia Caffi’s possessive “we” in we believe that terms, ‘deresponsibilisation’, as a means by ultimately this is for the good of our which the INEC Chairman safeguards his democracy and country to show that he is a integrity by weakening excessive part of the Nigerian populace and the responsibility on the one hand, and Nigerian project. ‘responsibilisation’ as a means by which he The most heart-warming statement made by makes unequivocal locution which directly PMY after the whole speech was the one commits him to the certainty on the issues contained in paragraph 16 where the and discourses surrounding the election Chairman responsibilises the postponement postponement. In agreement with to himself as the Chairman and the Odebunmi (2019), Caffi’s Commission at large thus: As Chairman of de/responsibilisation has proved to be apt in INEC, and on behalf of the Commission, we unpacking a vital political value which the take full responsibility for what happened contemporary society accords to a particular and we regret any inconvenience our image of what it means to be a person, that decision might have caused. is the ‘enterprising self’, who interprets its reality in terms of individual responsibility and who shapes its life through acts of Conclusion choice. The choice by the INEC Chairman to postpone the elections could be a pointer This study set out to examine INEC to the need to perfect different plans – Chairman’s 2019 election postponement positive or negative, as observed by some speech, paying attention to the elements of activists and opposition parties. For responsibilisation and deresponsibilisation, instance, some critics have argued that the and identifying the discourse strategies and postponement could actually be a deliberate the constructions used in representing the plan of the ruling party to rig the elections in postponement. Guided by aspects of Caffi’s their favour. deresponsibilisation and responsibilisation, and Hyland’s stance, the paper reveals that there are two central constructions of the 2019 general elections postponement: References commitment to a successful electoral conduct and logistical challenges. 11 Ayo Osisanwo CJLS 8(2), 2020 Adegoju, A. 2005. A stylistic study of the Kehinde Yusuf. Eds. Akin speeches of some key actors of the Odebunmi, Arua E. Arua and Sailal June 12 crisis in Nigeria (1993- Arimi. Lagos: Concept Publications, 1998). Ph.D. Thesis: Department 327-338. of English, University of Ibadan. Awonuga, C.O. 1988. Political rhetoric: Ademilokun, M. (2016). Appraisal of Awolowo’s use of language. 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Dr. Ayo Osisanwo teaches in the Department of English, University of Ibadan, Nigeria. He is a Postdoctoral Fellow of the African Humanities Programme (AHP) of the American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS), New York and an AHP- ACLS Postdoctoral Fellow Alumnus at the School of Journalism, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South-Africa. His publications have appeared in Discourse & Society (SAGE), Discourse and Communication (SAGE) and Athens Journal of Mass Media and Communication among others.

About the Author

APPENDIX

ADDRESS BY THE CHAIRMAN INDEPENDENT NATIONAL ELECTORAL COMMISSION (lNEC), PROFESSOR MAHMOOD YAKUBU TO THE STAKEHOLDERS’ MEETING ON THE 2019 GENERAL ELECTIONS HELD AT THE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE CENTRE ABUJA ON SATURDAY 16th FEBRUARY 2019

https://www.inecnigeria.org/resources/press-release/#collapseOne-113

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