DISCOURSE OF SOCIAL PROTEST: AN ANALYSIS OF #ENDBADGOVERNANCE IN NIGERIA
Abstract
The #EndBadGovernance movement in Nigeria represents a critical juncture in the country’s
socio-political activism, revealing how digitally mediated protest discourse articulates popular
dissent and political demand. This study investigates the linguistic, thematic, rhetorical, and
ideological features of the #EndBadGovernance protest discourse as expressed in tweets, protest
signage, interviews, news reports, government press releases, and public commentaries. Anchored
in the Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) framework, the study analyzes how language was
employed to construct collective identity, promote democratic ideals, counter governmental
narratives, and mobilize mass participation both locally and globally. It also examines how the
discourse rejected corruption and mismanagement, emphasized youth inclusion, and championed
human rights and national unity. Data were drawn purposively from social media posts, news
articles, interviews, and protest materials gathered between July and August 2024. The findings
show that the movement was structured around powerful ideological narratives embedded in
linguistic patterns and digital engagement strategies that reinforced solidarity and activism. It
further reveals that government responses to these discourses—though rhetorically conciliatory—
often failed to fully address protester demands. This study underscores the potent intersection of
discourse, ideology, and digital activism in contemporary protest movements in Nigeria
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