Talking metaphorically about democracy in the Nigerian Senate
What is it about?
This paper examines how Nigerian legislators draw on metaphors to talk about the country's democratic journey. The metaphors reveal the feeling, thoughts, and values of legislators relative to the practice of democracy in Nigeria. In other words, these metaphors give an insight into the minds and emotions of Nigerian legislators.
Why is it important?
The metaphors with which Nigerian legislators talk about democracy firstly, problematize the Nigerian democratic process and then provide practical, political solutions to democratic sustainability in Nigeria. Furthermore, the study contributes critical knowledge about the issues that dominate interactions in the parliament of an emerging democracy. For instance, issues about the importance of the agency, legitimacy of the legislature; free, fair, and acceptable elections, etc. to the sustainability of democracy, and the dichotomy between arms of government abound in the data.