LINGUISTIC INGENUITY AND POLITICAL EXPEDIENCY: THE MILITARY PHENOMENON

Abstract

This paper investigates the peculiarities in the use of the English language by former military rulers, and most especially, the former Nigerian leader General Ibrahim Babangida in his administration and suggests that Babangida deliberately manipulated language through coinages and unconventional or curious use of terms to achieve curious political goals. It views this ingenious use of language as being part of the Machiavellian model for political engineering.


(Humanities Review: 2002 2(1): 101-114)