VISUALISING IDEOLOGICAL DICHOTOMIES IN NIGERIAN PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION CARTOONS

Abstract

In the realm of ideology propagation, visual elements have often been overshadowed by textual and linguistic analyses. Addressing this research gap, this paper investigates the ideological portrayals within election cartoons, focusing on the dual ideologies of hope and disillusionment (HD) as discursively constructed through visual and textual resources. The study specifically examines how these ideologies are represented in Nigerian election cartoons related to the 2023 Presidential election, emphasising their self-sufficient metafunctional meaning potentials. Grounded in Kress and van Leeuwen's (2006) Grammar of Visual Design's tripartite metafunctions, this study analyses the visual elements, while van Dijk's (1998) and Fairclough's (1992) Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) frameworks guide the examination of discursive strategies within the textual components of HD ideologies. The analysis draws on four purposively selected cartoons from Daily Trust and The Punch newspapers, ensuring a balanced regional representation from both northern and southern Nigeria. The findings reveal that visual modes in election cartoons are not merely supplementary to textual elements but are, in many cases, more self-sufficient in conveying HD ideologies. The visual representations employ sophisticated semiotic resources, such as symbolism, composition, and colour schemes, which independently articulate complex ideological stances. Textually, the study uncovers a strategic use of linguistic features that complement the visual messages, enhancing the overall ideological narrative. The use of irony, metaphor, and other rhetorical devices in the text serves not just to depict HD ideologies but also to provide deeper insights into the socio-political context and the cartoonist's ideological perspective. The interplay between text and image often results in a layered understanding of the cartoons, where the textual elements reinforce or, at times, subvert the visual messages.Moreover, the analysis identifies a consistent pattern in the portrayal of ideologies: hope is predominantly associated with the ruling party and its candidates, often depicted through positive visual and textual cues, while disillusionment is largely reserved for the electorate and opposition parties, represented through more negative or critical imagery and language. The study concludes that election cartoons serve as powerful tools for ideological expression, with visual elements often providing a more immediate and comprehensive conveyance of ideologies than textual counterparts. For future research, it is recommended to extend the exploration of visual and textual elements in ideological discourse across diverse socio-political contexts, particularly in non-Western settings.