PROTEST SONGS, LANGUAGE, AND SOCIAL COMMENTARY IN NIGERIA'S PRE AND POST 2023 ELECTION LANDSCAPE

Abstract

This article examines the role of songs and language as mediums of protest, social commentary, and political mobilisation in Nigeria’s pre and post 2023 general election landscape. The purpose is to investigate how music reflects and shape public opinion on governance, corruption, elec toral integrity, and socioeconomic challenges, while functioning as a tool for both grassroots activism and elite political messaging. The study employs qualitative content analysis of seven purposively selected songs released or recirculated between 2019 and 2025 that achieved significant traction during this period. Data sources include lyrical texts, music videos, social media circulation patterns (YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook), news reports, archived discourse, and existing scholarly literature on music, language, and politics in Nigeria. Key findings reveal that pre election songs amplified youth disillusionment and calls for change through multilingual strategies (Pidgin English, English, Yorùbá, Igbo, Hausa) and satirical counter narratives, s uch as the Obidient Movement’s track mocking Bola Tinubu’s Emilokan declaration. Post election tracks shifted to expressions of grief, anger, and demands for accountability, exemplified by Eedris Abdulkareem’s Tell Your Papa . Protest songs sustained critique o f governance failures, shaped public discourse, mobilised sentiment, influenced voter engagement particularly among youth and impact systemic political transformation. The article concludes that protest songs, linguistic creativity, and social commentary remain vital to Nigeria’s democratic process, providing a resilient platform for marginalised voices and underscoring music’s enduring capacity to challenge power in a multi ethnic society.