Populist and Anti-Populist Discourses in Nigerian and Turkish Presidential Elections: Populist Zeitgeist Debate Revisited

Abstract

Today, many scholars question whether populism has indeed become the zeitgeist detriment of democracies around the globe. This study compares populist discourses in Nigeria and T & uuml;rkiye during their 2023 presidential campaigns. Utilizing Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA), it explores how did the victorious presidential candidates employ digital media platforms to disseminate their populist and anti-populist messages? This research reveals that Bola Tinubu's anti-populist discourses mitigated polarization and led to a smooth electoral success in Nigeria. In sharp contrast, Recep Tayyip Erdo & gbreve;an's populist discourses exacerbated political divisions in T & uuml;rkiye. It concludes that populism neither universally dominates global trends nor guarantees electoral victory, even in polarized Eurasian-African context. Nonetheless, whether labeled as populist or anti-populist during electoral campaigns, such characterizations do not necessarily translate into corresponding policy actions once in office.