STYLO-DISCOURSE ANALYSIS OF SOCIAL MEDIA STANCE-TAKING IN THE FUBARA–WIKE POLITICAL CONFLICT IN RIVERS STATE
Abstract
This study investigates how supporters of Nyesom Wike and Siminalayi Fubara employ stylistic and discourse strategies to construct political stances on social media platforms such as Facebook, X, Instagram, and TikTok. Using a stylo-discourse approach combined with Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) and Roman Jakobson’s Communication Function Theory, the study examines lexical choices, pronouns, modality, metaphors, and discourse markers to uncover underlying ideological positions, identity construction, and persuasive strategies. Findings reveal that supporters use evaluative language to legitimize their preferred candidate, pronoun polarization to signal in-group and out-group alignment, and high-modality and metaphorical intensification to dramatize political conflict and mobilize audiences. These strategies demonstrate that social media is a performative arena of ideological contestation. The study recommends that political actors and campaign strategists engage social media mindfully, employing persuasive yet ethical discourse to shape public perception responsibly.
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Published in AFRICAN SOCIAL AND EDUCATIONAL JOURNAL
ISSN: 978-37889
This article appears in our peer-reviewed academic journal
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