A LEXICO-SEMANTIC ANALYSIS OF SELECTED 2026 X POSTS OF PETER OBI ON NIGERIA'S SOCIAL REALITIES

Abstract

This study undertakes a lexico-semantic analysis of three selected X (formerly Twitter) posts published by Peter Gregory Obi, a Nigerian politician and 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, in 2026. The posts which X-ray Nigeria's social realities, are examined through the theoretical frameworks of Leech's (1981) model of lexical meaning and van Dijk's (1993, 2001) socio-cognitive approach to critical discourse analysis (CDA). The study investigates how Obi deploys specific lexical choices, rhetorical devices, and evaluative language to construct Nigeria's social realities and to position himself discursively as a credible advocate for systemic national reform. The study reveals consistent patterns of crisis-signalling vocabulary, extended bodily metaphor, antithetical constructions rooted in statistical contrast, moral appeals anchored on affective meaning, and inclusive nation building pronouns. The analysis demonstrates that Obi's political X posts function as sophisticated instruments of persuasion and social critique, reflecting a clear awareness of digital platforms as arenas for ideological contestation. The study concludes that lexico-semantic analysis, grounded in Leech's seven types of meaning and van Dijk's ideological square, provides a productive and replicable framework for studying political discourse in African digital spaces, and contributes to the growing body of scholarship at the intersection of linguistics, politics, and new media in Nigeria.