NJOMACS

Concerns about possible emergence of one-party system in Nigeria ahead of the 2027 general elections has been a subject of discourse in Nigeria recently. However, there have been few studies on how Nigerian newspapers construct and present these narratives. This study investigated the framing of one-party state narrative in some selected online Nigerian newspapers. The objectives were to determine the level of prominence, identify dominant frames, assess tone, analyse source attribution, and examine placement patterns of such narratives. A quantitative content analysis research design was adopted, covering six newspapers: Daily Trust, The Scope, Leadership, The Punch, The Sun, and Vanguard, from October 1, 2025 to March 31, 2026. The total number of articles found to be relevant to the study were 482 articles which were purposively chosen and analysed using a structured coding guide. Data were analysed using frequency counts and percentages. The results showed that one-party state narratives were generally moderately featured (41.7%) and were mainly found on the homepages of the selected newspapers. The study found that dominance frame was mostly used (25.7%), and negative tone was more prevalent (51.2%) in coverage. The study recommended better framing balance, more variety of sources, and editorial focus on issues that are important to democracy.