Meaning-Making in Political Cartoons on the 2023 Presidential Election in Nigeria: A Social Semiotic Interpretation

Abstract

The paper analyses some selected political cartoons on the 2023 Presidential election in Nigeria. The objective is to unpack the multilayered meaning embedded in the political cartoons and to bring to the fore the societal ills and the short comings of our politicians. The data for the study comprises six (6) political cartoons selected purposively from the Nairaland Online Community, an internet forum for Nigerian political cartoons. The Visual Social Semiotics theory of Kress and van Leeuwen (1996, 2006) is adopted as the theoretical standpoint for this study. Meaning - Making in the selected political cartoons are analysed in three layers namely: representational, interactive and compositional metafunctions. This in-depth analysis revealed among other things such recurring themes as corruption, insecurity, political rivalry and electoral fraud. The cartoons stand as powerful critiques of these societal foibles; they raise the awareness of the populace and help them to make informed choices and to intelligently participate actively in Nigeria’s political discourse