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Hedging In Politics: A Cooperative Principle Approach to President Muhammadu Buhari’s 2016 Democracy Day Address

Authors: IDOWU Olubunmi , & Owuye Opeyemi

Publication Type: Journal article

Journal: Iosr Journal Of Humanities And Social Science (iosr-jhss)

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Abstract: Political leaders, in communicating their intentions to the citizenry, use hedges to assert their integrity, honesty, commitment and transparency. Several studies in discourse analysis, sociolinguistics and pragmatics have investigated the relevance of various linguistic elements to political discourses. However, not much of the pragmatic studies have employed hedging from the perspective of cooperative principles in analysing Nigerian political discourse for the purpose of asserting the positive self-images of the political leaders. Thus, this study examined hedges and the hedged cooperative principles using Grice’s Cooperative Principle as its theoretical framework. The study utilised the qualitative research design while purposive sampling technique was used to select sentences laden with hedgesin President Muhammadu Buhari’s (PMB) 2016 Democracy Day Address. Also, the study investigated the contextual reasons for hedging in President Muhammadu Buhari’s (PMB) 2016 Democracy Day Address. Findings revealed that the preeminent hedged conversational maxim was the maxim of manner; there was no hedged maxim of relation. The contextual reasons for hedging were to express uncertainty; avoid direct criticism which would affect the public self-image of PMB; make predictions; avoid precision and deflect responsibility. The study concluded thatPMB adopted the use of hedges to assert his integrity, honesty, commitment and transparency. The study recommends the use of hedges for positive self-imaging and national development in politics.

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IDOWU,O. Owuye,O. . (2019). Hedging In Politics: A Cooperative Principle Approach to President Muhammadu Buhari’s 2016 Democracy Day Address, 24 (), 47-47.

IDOWU,O. Owuye,O. . "Hedging In Politics: A Cooperative Principle Approach to President Muhammadu Buhari’s 2016 Democracy Day Address" 24, no (), (2019): 47-47.

IDOWU,O. and Owuye,O. and . (2019). Hedging In Politics: A Cooperative Principle Approach to President Muhammadu Buhari’s 2016 Democracy Day Address, 24 (), pp47-47.

IDOWUO, OwuyeO, . Hedging In Politics: A Cooperative Principle Approach to President Muhammadu Buhari’s 2016 Democracy Day Address. 2019, 24 ():47-47.

IDOWU,Olubunmi , and Owuye,Opeyemi . "Hedging In Politics: A Cooperative Principle Approach to President Muhammadu Buhari’s 2016 Democracy Day Address", 24 . (2019) : 47-47.

I.Olubunmi & O.Opeyemi , "Hedging In Politics: A Cooperative Principle Approach to President Muhammadu Buhari’s 2016 Democracy Day Address" vol.24, no., pp. 47-47, 2019.

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