“Let’s talk divorce”: a multimodal critical discourse analysis of Oduduwa secessionist discourse

Abstract

Abstract This study explores ideological representations in the online images of the Oduduwa secessionist movement in Nigeria from a multimodal critical discourse analytical framework. The data, which comprise selected internet images obtained from the Facebook and Twitter accounts of the group, were qualitatively analyzed. The findings reveal that the images are ideologically designed to resist the Nigerian nation, call for the Yoruba nation, signal membership polarization, construct an Oduduwa national identity, construct the betrayal of the Yoruba nation, accentuate violence in Nigeria, and delegitimize the Nigerian nation. We argue that these discursive strategies are used to project resistance as well as radical and secessionist ideologies, which appear to be typical of secessionist organizations around the world. Additionally, this article sheds light on the paramount significance of ethnic identity in the organizational dynamics of resistance groups operating within the Nigerian context.