‘Us’ versus ‘them’: Exploring ethno-regional contestations in Nigerian political communication

Abstract

The discussion in this chapter is premised on the understanding that political communication has a significant effect on democratic politics. In a democratic society, the press plays a pivotal role that requires it to defend and protect democracy by facilitating political participation through its capacity to empower citizens with information that they need to make informed political decisions. The chapter develops an argument by examining how two national newspapers, The Guardian and the Daily Trust, covered the 2011 presidential election in Nigeria, and explores how the construction and processing of messages could have evoked ethno-nationalistic contestations in Nigerian politics and had a potential impact on the political process. Given that ethnic consciousness is at the core of Nigerian politics and serves as an important mobilisation tool, analysing press coverage of an election provides critical insight into the nature of political communication in the country.