Face Negotiation Strategies in Selected Nyesom Wike's Media Interviews: A Pragmatic Analysis

Abstract

This study focuses on the strategic use of face acts by Nyesom Wike in media interactions within the time frame of his governorship of Rivers State (2015–2023) and ministerial position in Nigeria's Federal Capital Territory (2023 to present). Although studies on politeness breaches and the face work among journalists have been conducted in the context of Nigerian political discourse, there is still much to be explored on the strategic use of face acts by politicians for political branding and identity construction. In particular, not much attention has been paid to the systematic use of face acts by Nigerian politicians in navigating governance problems, evading accountability, and exhibiting power in impromptu media interactions. Using qualitative thematic analysis, this study examined ten purposively sampled media chats of Wike, a prominent Nigerian political figure, with journalists on Channels Television and TVC News (2022–2025). The data were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using the framework of Politeness Theory by Brown and Levinson (1987). Findings reveal that the political figure, Nyesom Wike, applies several forms of face strategies, including bald on-record face threats, positive and negative politeness, off-record avoidance, and ironic reversal, contextually to negotiate power, construct identity, and brand his political style. The study adds to face management literature by providing an example of how facework is an integral part of power struggle and political branding in African political communication.