Kemi Badenoch, leader of the Conservative Party in the United Kingdom, has reaffirmed her earlier statements about Nigeria, asserting that she was not serving as a public relations representative for the country.
Her remarks come in response to strong criticism from Nigeria’s Vice President, Kashim Shettima, who recently accused her of disparaging Nigeria, her country of origin.
Although born in the UK, Badenoch spent much of her childhood in Nigeria and has frequently spoken about the challenges she encountered growing up, characterizing Nigeria as a nation grappling with “fear, insecurity, and corruption.”
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VP Shettima had on Monday accused Badenoch of denigrating Nigeria, suggesting she could “remove the Kemi from her name” if she was not proud of her Nigerian heritage. ‘Kemi’ is a Yoruba name commonly found in the South-West Nigeria.
The Vice President made this statement at an event in Abuja that celebrated the contributions of Nigerian immigrants to national development. He emphasized that while the Nigerian government is proud of Kemi Badenoch’s achievements, her comments about her country of origin were inappropriate.
“She is entitled to her own opinions; she has even every right to remove the Kemi from her name, but that does not underscore the fact that the greatest black nation on earth is the nation called Nigeria,” Shettima said, drawing applause from the audience.
He contrasted Badenoch’s remarks with the approach of Rishi Sunak, the UK’s first Prime Minister of Indian heritage, describing him as “a brilliant young man” who “never denigrated his nation of ancestry.”
But, in response to VP Shettima’s comments, Badenoch insisted on standing by her words, saying she had no intention of softening her statements. “I tell the truth. I tell it like it is. I am not going to couch my words,” she told reporters on Wednesday. “I am the leader of the opposition, and I am very proud of my leadership of the opposition in this country. I am not the PR for Nigeria.”
Badenoch’s previous remarks, which frequently referenced her experiences growing up in Nigeria, have sparked debates in both the UK and Nigeria.