Pragmatic Analysis of Selected Speeches of Some Governors on Workers’ Day Celebration in Nigeria

Abstract

This study focuses on the pragmatic analysis of selected speeches made by some governors on Workers’ Day Celebration in Nigeria. The study aimed to identify and analyze the pragmatic features of the speeches and to establish how these features reveal the governors’ intentions. Purposive sampling method was used to select and transcribe two recorded speeches of Governor Emmanuel Udom (2019) of Akwa Ibom State and Governor Seyi Makinde (2020) of Oyo State. Qualitative research design was used to analyze the transcribed texts. The theoretical models of Speech Acts by Austin (1962) and Searle (1969) were deployed in the analysis. The findings revealed that the pragmatic features in the speeches were conveyed through the following illocutionary acts: assertive (33%), commissive (20%), declaratives (15%), executives (13.75%), expressive (10%), and directives (7.5%). The study also establishes that the governors’ intentions were to prioritize workers’ welfare, encourage and assure them of their interest and sustain the post-COVID 19 economy. The study concluded that the pragmatic features of the speeches effectively conveyed the governors’ intentions and motives, thus highlighting the importance of language and ideology in political communication.