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ABSTRACT
This study emphasizes that the pursuit, gain for, and exercise of power is characterized by the crafty use of language. Persuasion and conviction of the electorate to obtain their support and acceptance, manipulating the audience towards accepting a particular ideology depends to a large extent on the kind of language used by the politician. The aim of the study is to investigate the pattern of language used in the selected campaign speeches with a view to determining the extent to which language works in any political dispensation. In this regard therefore, the study is a critical discourse analysis of selected campaign speeches of Peter Obi of Labour party (LP) and Bola Tinubu of All progressive Congress ( APC) in the 2023 elections. The study utilize Norman Fairclough‘s (1992) three dimensional model. Data for the study were speeches selected and printed from the internet. The speeches are of the two strong presidential aspirants from two out of three leading parties in the country, Peter Obi of Labour party (LP) and Bola Tinubu of All progressive Congress (APC).The data obtained were analysed from the angle of Rhetorical Devices and Ideological Interests. The findings revealed that both speakers used different rhetorical devices to persuade and appeal to the audience in a bid to attain political power. The study has concluded that campaign speeches by politicians are ideological and often invested with the tendencies to confuse, persuade, dominate and control the minds of the electorate. The study therefore, recommends that for any rigorous analysis to be carried out in campaign speeches, attention should be given to two matters: matter of language and matter of politics which are ultimately ideological.
