Abstract:
Nigeria's struggle for independence witnessed a relentless intellectual battle between British colonial rulers and Nigerian activists and writers who ardently expressed their nationalist convictions through writings and public speeches. While existing studies, such as Balarabe (2018) and Fowobaje et al. (2022), examined Balewa’s speech on power dynamics and sentiment, this study uniquely explores a divergent perspective by examining Tafawa Balewa's independence speech, revealing his paradoxical representation of solidarity with the colonial masters. Drawing upon the concept of "an imagined community," and grounded in the theoretical frameworks of politeness strategies and deixis, the analysis adopts a qualitative research approach to explore how Balewa effectively communicates solidarity within his speech. Through direct statements, indirectness, and expressions of respect and agreement, Balewa constructs a discourse that fosters solidarity and respect among Nigerians and non-Nigerians. By strategically employing pronouns as dietic markers, the study shows how he projects inclusivity and a shared sense of identity within the imagined community he constructs. The findings of the study highlight Balewa's ability to navigate face-threatening acts, alleviate pressure on his addressees, and avoid aggressive authoritativeness, effectively conveying a sense of solidarity. The study concludes by extolling Balewa's inclusive and purposeful political persona and emphasising the profound impact of his solidarity projection on Nigeria's post-independence relationship with her colonial master. It suggests that further research compare Balewa’s speech with other independence leaders (e.g., Nkrumah, Kenyatta) to assess whether solidarity rhetoric was a regional trend or unique to Nigeria.
Keywords: Solidarity, Imagined Community, Independence, Tafawa Balewa, Discourse, Deixis, Politeness
DOI: www.doi.org/10.36349/tjllc.2025.v04i02.013
author/Idris Ayomo Oke
journal/Tasambo JLLC 4(2) | July 2025 |
