A photograph of former Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai sharing a deep kiss with his wife in a courtroom has gone viral. El-Rufai is standing trial in a case involving allegations of tapping the telephone of a security chief. The setting makes the scene unusual, but the public reaction raises a more interesting question: when does a private expression of affection become a public statement?
El-Rufai is no stranger to controversy or public attention. Through his statements, letters and pointed criticisms, he has remained a subject of political conversation. Murray Edelman’s theory of political spectacle offers an interesting lens here: politics is not only about policies and decisions but also about drama, symbols and the management of public perception.
Could the kiss have been an ordinary expression of marital affection? Certainly. Could people interpret it as a demonstration of solidarity, confidence or defiance in a moment of public scrutiny? Equally. We cannot know the intention from a photograph alone. But the interpretations reveal something about the psychology of public life.
Human beings do not always respond to pressure with silence or withdrawal. Sometimes, they respond with conspicuous displays of strength, happiness or affection. The intention may be to reassure oneself, project confidence or show an audience that nothing has changed. Yet the same gesture can invite speculation about the very tension it may be intended to overcome.
Antonio Damasio’s work on emotion and decision-making, alongside George Marcus’s research on affective intelligence in politics, reminds us that political behaviour is rarely detached from feelings. Fear, anger, pride and the desire for recognition can shape how people act and how they interpret the actions of others.
When political disagreements become personal, even ordinary gestures can acquire extraordinary meanings. A social media post becomes an indirect attack; a public appearance becomes a show of strength; an affectionate gesture becomes a message to an imagined opponent. Leon Festinger’s theory of cognitive dissonance helps explain why people often interpret ambiguous events in ways that reinforce what they already believe.
We have seen similar dynamics in Nigerian politics, particularly amid the public controversy involving Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan and Senate President Godswill Akpabio. In politically charged circumstances, public displays of affection can attract interpretations that go beyond the relationship itself. Some may read them as defiance or reassurance; others may see nothing more than affection between spouses.
Erving Goffman’s dramaturgical theory explains why such interpretations arise. Social life often involves managing the impressions we create before others. Politicians, who operate under constant public scrutiny, are especially vulnerable to having their actions interpreted as performances. But there is a difference between recognising how an act may be perceived and claiming certainty about why it was performed.
The deeper irony is that a gesture intended to project confidence may be interpreted as insecurity, while an attempt to demonstrate resilience may invite even more scrutiny. The performer does not control the audience’s interpretation. Once an action enters the public arena, it acquires meanings shaped by the beliefs, suspicions and prejudices of those watching.
Perhaps this is why people sometimes feel compelled to demonstrate that their opponents have not defeated them. The need to appear unhurt can become another form of emotional dependence: instead of simply living through a difficult moment, one begins to live for the audience’s verdict.
Yet not every kiss is political theatre, just as not every display of confidence conceals fear. Genuine affection and public symbolism can coexist, and sometimes there may be no political message at all. The responsible observer must distinguish what is visible from what is merely suspected.
Perhaps the greatest show of strength is not proving to one’s enemies that they have failed to cause pain. It is reaching a point where their opinions no longer dictate one’s behaviour. When every gesture must answer an opponent or impress an audience, even love risks becoming another instrument in the theatre of politics.
Bagudu Mohammed is the founder of Alternative Perspectives, a widely read commentary platform on social media, and writes a weekly newspaper column published every Monday on the back page of Peoples Daily.Web: https://alternativeperspective.onrender.com
