Senate spokesperson Yemi Adaramodu has voiced strong disapproval over a brief public kiss between Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan and her husband, Emmanuel Uduaghan, just before she entered the Senate chamber.
On March 5, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan, who represents Kogi Central, arrived at the National Assembly Complex accompanied by her husband.
The couple, dressed in white and visibly in high spirits, shared a brief kiss before she proceeded to the Senate plenary session. She was scheduled to present a petition on sexual harassment against Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
Speaking on Politics Today, a program on Channels Television, Adaramodu criticized the couple’s gesture, calling it “unthinkable and unspeakable.”
He said, “This is bewildering… like, I was watching all the clips. It’s quite very sickening and it’s omnipotently pathetic… that this is where we are and then the leadership, especially the first arm of government, which is the legislature.”
Adaramodu compared the moment to a staged performance, questioning whether such displays were appropriate within the legislative setting. “When I saw my colleague and sister Natasha Akpoti entering with a kiss, it made me look back at when we were acting during stage theatres or entertainment in primary school. Is this where we are still? So, don’t let me go there. Very unthinkable and unspeakable.”
When asked if there was anything improper about Emmanuel Uduaghan accompanying his wife in a show of support, Adaramodu dismissed it, stating that solidarity in such a case was unnecessary.
He argued that while it might be legal, it was “socially, morally, and politically wrong.” He further remarked, “I said initially that this is an episode of content creation and the content has been created. That is part of the skits of the contents being created by our colleague and then the whole thing is trending.”
The controversy surrounding Akpoti-Uduaghan deepened when, on Thursday, the Senate decided to suspend her for six months.
The decision followed a report from the Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions. Her suspension was linked to a heated argument with Senate President Akpabio over seating arrangements.
