This study investigates the use of first person personal pronouns as well as plural pronouns in the inaugural speeches given by two Nigerian Presidents: Muhammadu Buhari and Bola Tinubu at their inauguration in 2015 and 2023 respectively. The study uses qualitative means by exploring the occurrences of personal pronouns by the two personalities. The findings show that President Tinubu had used a total of 135 personal pronouns. A breakdown shows that he produced the pronoun ‘I’ and its variants 37 times; for the pronoun ‘we’ and its variants, he used them 98 times. For President Buhari, he exploited the singular personal pronoun ‘I’ and its variants 29 times. On the use of the plural pronoun, he employed them 63 times. The study revealed that the two presidents exploited the personal pronouns to convey their commitments and plans of action given the challenges confronting the nation at the time of their inauguration. In their use of the plural pronouns of “we” and “us”, the presidents used them in an inclusive manner beckoning on the citizenry to partake and share in the responsibility of the tasks that lay ahead in nation-building. The paper shows how personal pronouns are used by the presidents to construct various identities and to transpose sentiments and sympathies in order to seemingly enhance national development and promote their political agenda. This study recommends that future researchers should go beyond understanding the nuances and implications of the use of personal pronouns to a greater and a deeper understanding of leadership dynamics in Nigeria.
Keywords:
pronouns, personal pronouns, variants, inclusivity, Nigeria.
Goteng, Tongshinung