Declarative and Commissive Acts at Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf’s 2023 Inaugural Address

Abstract

This study examines Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf's 2023 Inaugural address through the lens of Searle's (1979) taxonomy of Speech Acts, focusing specifically on declarative and commissive Acts. Using a qualitative content analysis approach, the study extracts, categorizes, and interprets relevant utterances from the address to explore their speech act functions within a political context. Declarative Acts are shown to perform immediate institutional effects (such as dissolving boards, reclaiming public assets, and reopening institutions) thereby asserting political authority and enacting administrative change. Commissive Acts express the Governor's commitments to future-oriented goals, including economic relief, infrastructural development, anti-corruption reforms, and social investment in health, education, and agriculture. These Speech Acts function not only as communicative tools but also as strategic mechanisms for constructing political identity, projecting ideological stance, and negotiating power relations in Kano State. The study concludes that Governor Yusuf's strategic deployment of Speech Acts serves as both a performative and ideological instrument for legitimizing authority and fostering a reformist governance agenda.