Kemi Badenoch, the Conservative Party leader, has reaffirmed her statements about Nigeria, despite criticism from Nigerian Vice-President Kashim Shettima. Born in the UK but raised in Nigeria, Badenoch has often spoken about growing up in a corrupt and insecure environment.
Vice-President Shettima suggested that if Badenoch was not proud of her Nigerian heritage, she should consider removing “Kemi” from her name. Badenoch’s spokesperson responded that she is not a representative for Nigeria but rather the leader of the opposition in the UK and is proud of her role.
In a recent speech in Abuja, Shettima expressed pride in Badenoch, despite her critical remarks about Nigeria. He noted that while she has the right to her opinions, it does not diminish the significance of Nigeria as a prominent black nation. Shettima compared her approach to that of Rishi Sunak, the UK’s first prime minister of Indian heritage, who never disparaged his ancestral nation.
Badenoch, born Olukemi Adegoke in Wimbledon in 1980, lived in Lagos and the United States before returning to the UK at 16 due to Nigeria’s political and economic instability. She later took her husband’s surname after marrying Scottish banker Hamish Badenoch.
At the Conservative Party conference, Badenoch contrasted her childhood in Lagos, filled with fear and lawlessness, with the freedoms she experienced in the UK. Her experiences in Nigeria have shaped her conservative views and opposition to socialism.
