Political othering and polarisation in Nigeria’s online electoral discourse : towards a culture of inter-political party tolerance

Abstract

During elections in Nigeria, views expressed by supporters of political parties tend to exclude others and frame members of opposing parties as inferior. This paper examines othering and polarisation related to political party affiliations by analysing 9,816 Facebook comments focused on Nigeria’s 2023 general elections using critical discourse analysis. The findings reveal that polarisation and othering of outgroup political parties and their supporters occur through two discursive strategies: the psychiatrisation of political support and the attribution of otherness through electoral clientelism. The study concludes by proposing a culture of inter-political party tolerance that incorporates indigenous knowledge systems to mitigate othering. This research adds to the growing body of literature on othering and affective polarisation between groups, particularly in the African context.