IDENTITY POLITICS AND NIGERIAN 2015 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS: A DISCOURSE ANALYSIS OF FEEDBACK COMMENTS ON SELECTED ONLINE REPORTS OF POLITICAL ISSUES

Interactive media platform provides greater access to information and greater opportunity to express thoughts and opinions. It also provides insight in to people's state of mind, their ideologies and beliefs on issues which they make comments about. Usage of words, manner of expression and language pattern are indicative of people's motives and beliefs on national conversations. This study examines the readers' comments on Nigerian online news reports with the aim of understanding readers' attitudes on political issues during 2015 presidential elections. Since the readers' comments are anonymous most times and because many people do not use their true identity, they provide insight into the true state of people's mind, beliefs and attitudes and the implications of these on the corporate existence of Nigeria as a nation. Using discourse analysis approach, data comprising 45 comments which were online readers' feedbacks from The Punch, Vanguard, Sahara Reporters and Premium Times based on two political issues were analysed. These issues are the postponement of 2015 presidential elections often regarded as the Polls Shift and Buhari's certificate crisis. Findings reveal that readers are largely divided along ethnic, religious and political parties' affiliations. Besides, hate comments pervade the feedbacks, an indication of politics of bitterness in practise in Nigeria. It is therefore necessary that mechanism is put in place to ensure that readers' comments are not used to cause disaffection among the citizenry but rather for viable, rational and robust discussion that will deepen our democratic practices. Similarly, Nigerian government needs to work to ensure true integration among the various divides that make up the entity called Nigeria and also ensure good governance to avoid people's hatred.