Senate Spokesperson Dismisses Akpoti-Uduaghan’s Moment With Husband As “Content Creation” And “Skit”
Senate spokesperson Yemi Adaramodu has expressed strong disapproval of a moment shared between Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan and her husband, Emmanuel Uduaghan, before she entered the upper legislative chamber.
On March 5, Uduaghan accompanied his wife, the senator representing Kogi Central, to the National Assembly Complex.
Dressed in white and visibly cheerful, the couple shared a brief kiss before Akpoti-Uduaghan proceeded to plenary, where she was set to submit a petition on sexual harassment against Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
Reacting to the incident during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today, Adaramodu described the couple’s gesture — captured by television cameras and reporters — as “unthinkable and unspeakable.”
“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,” he said.
He further likened the scene to a performance in a school play, questioning its appropriateness in a 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 wrong with Emmanuel Uduaghan accompanying his wife to the national assembly in support, Adaramodu dismissed the notion.
“Solidarity over what? Over internal matters in the senate? It is legal but it’s socially, morally and politically wrong. It doesn’t mean that all legal things are very good for adults to act,” he argued.
“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.”
On Thursday, the senate moved to suspend Akpoti-Uduaghan for six months after adopting the report of the committee on ethics, privileges, and public petitions.
Her suspension came in the wake of a heated exchange with Akpabio over seating arrangements.
