Kemi Badenoch, the leader of the UK Conservative Party, has doubled down on her earlier remarks about Nigeria, stating she is not interested in “laundering the image” of the country.
This follows criticism from Nigeria’s Vice-President, Kashim Shettima, who accused Badenoch of denigrating her ancestral homeland.
Badenoch, who was born in the UK to Nigerian Yoruba parents in 1980, grew up in Nigeria before returning to the UK at 16.
Before her election as Conservative Party leader, she described Nigeria as a socialist nation rife with corruption, insecurity, and broken systems.
“This is my country. I don’t want it to become like the place I ran away from,” Badenoch said in earlier remarks, referring to the UK.
She recounted her experiences growing up in Nigeria, saying, “I saw firsthand what happens when politicians are in it for themselves, when they use public money as their private piggy banks, when they pollute the whole political atmosphere with their failure to serve others.”
Badenoch detailed living in fear while in Nigeria, saying, “I grew up in a place where fear was everywhere.
Triple-checking that all the doors and windows are locked, waking up in the night at every sound, listening as you hear your neighbours scream as they are being burgled and beaten, wondering if your home would be next.”
On Monday, Vice-President Kashim Shettima responded, accusing Badenoch of tarnishing Nigeria’s image.
He contrasted her approach with that of UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who he described as a “brilliant young man” who “never denigrated his nation of ancestry.” Sunak, whose family hails from India, has often spoken positively about his heritage.
In response, a spokesperson for Badenoch reiterated her stance, stating, “Kemi is not interested in doing Nigeria’s PR; she is the leader of the opposition in the UK. She tells the truth. She tells it like it is. She’s not going to couch her words, and she stands by what she says.”
Shettima further criticized Badenoch, suggesting she abandon her first name, Olukemi, if she no longer wished to identify with her Nigerian roots.
Badenoch, who married Scottish banker Hamish Badenoch, took her husband’s surname.
