Abstract

A flagbearer’s victory speech is arguably the first formal speech that outlines their vision and expresses their commitment to ensuring victory for the political party in an upcoming presidential election. The delivery of a victory speech is thus a communicative event meant to bring together all members of a political party and further strengthen their beliefs, aspirations, and values toward victory at the national level. This study examines Mahamudu Bawumia’s victory speech as the New Patriotic Party (NPP) flagbearer. It focuses on the rhetorical strategies and pragmatic acts used in the speech. The findings reveal that Bawumia employed lexical items and figurative language to illustrate his political communicative skills in shaping political dominance, voting patterns, and perceptions. For instance, his campaign slogan “it is possible” which was repeated in the speech served to inspire hope and motivate collective action. The pragmatic acts, including expressives, directives, and commissives, complemented these rhetorical strategies. Through these acts, Bawumia fostered inclusion and solidarity, invited active participation, and demonstrated his commitment to the party’s vision of winning the 2024 elections. This study offers insights into how rhetorical strategies and pragmatic acts are employed to promote unity and influence perceptions toward achieving electoral success.