By Nnamdi Ojiego

Comments by the Leader of the Opposition in the United Kingdom (UK), Olukemi Olufunto Adegoke Badenoch, have sparked controversy in Nigeria with many outraged over the Leader of the Conservative Party statements which many interpreted as unpatriotic while some rose in her defence.

The British-Nigerian politician, who previously served in the UK Cabinet under Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak from 2022 to 2024, had made remarks that many Nigerians interpreted as offensive.

She replaced the party’s leader and immediate past UK Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, after winning 57 per cent of party members’ votes to defeat former immigration minister Robert Jenrick.

The election, which saw her emerge as the first Black leader of a UK-wide political party, followed Mr Sunak’s resignation from the position after the party failed in the July general election, which produced Keir Starmer of the Labour Party as the new Prime Minister.

Her position places her as a potential Prime Minister of the UK.

Speaking with British media recently, Badenoch, who had earlier described her upbringing in Nigeria as being overshadowed by fear and insecurity in a country plagued by corruption, detached herself from Northern Nigeria, which she referred to as a haven for Islamism and Boko Haram.

“I find it interesting that everybody defines me as being Nigerian. I identify less with the country than with the specific ethnicity [Yoruba],” she said.

“I have nothing in common with the people from the north of the country, the Boko Haram where Islamism is.

“Being Yoruba is my true identity, and I refuse to be lumped with northern people of Nigeria, who ‘were our ethnic enemies, all in the name of being called a Nigerian.”

Knocks for Badenoch

Her statements, which touched on sensitive issues of ethnic and regional differences, quickly gained traction on social media, igniting strong reactions from various quarters and triggering a war of words with Vice-President Kashim Shettima who publicly urged her to drop her Nigerian name.

Badenoch supporters argue that her perspective was a candid reflection of Nigeria’s complex socio-political landscape, while critics accuse her of deepening existing rifts.

Dangerous

But from a top diplomat, who spoke anonymously to Sunday Vanguard came a strong warning to Badenoch, saying British tabloids will use what’s out already in Nigeria against her and that would make her quest for the UK prime ministership very difficult.

“Mark my words, the British tabloids will use what’s out already against her. It will definitely make her quest for the prime ministership more arduous!” the top diplomat who served as Nigerian envoy in one of the Asian countries said.

“I think further discussion in the Nigerian press (anonymous or not) will hurt her politically
Kemi’s case is not what I would like to discuss in a publication.

“Suffice to observe, privately, that she needn’t denigrate her roots and ancestry to rise in Tory politics. The bric-a-bracs between thrown between Kemi and Nigeria are unnecessary and dangerous for her political career!

“I think for Kemi’s sake, her brouhaha with Nigeria should be kept off the press.

“I think further discussion in the Nigerian press (anonymous or not) will hurt her politically.
“Though I do not support her method, I would prefer to let Kemi Badenock be.

The controversy started when the Chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, NiDCOM, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, claimed that the newly elected leader of the Conservative Party ignored efforts to reach her.

According to Dabiri-Erewa, Nigeria won’t force the 44-year-old Nigerian-British politician, who spent part of her childhood in Lagos, or any other person with Nigerian heritage to identify with their Nigerian roots.

“It depends on if she identifies the Nigerianess in her. We have reached out to her once or twice without any response, so we don’t force people to accept to be Nigerian”, Dabiri-Erewa said.

“So, it depends on Kemi to decide whether she appreciates the Nigerianess in her, whether she wants to work with Nigeria, but we cannot force anybody”.

Denigrating

Speaking at the 10th Annual Migration Dialogue held at the State House in Abuja, Shettima accused Badenoch of denigrating Nigeria and asked her to remove the “Kemi” from her name if she was not proud of her nation of origin.

“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”, the VP said.

He compared her to Rishi Sunak, her predecessor, adding: “Rishi Sunak, the former British prime minister, is originally from India. A very brilliant young man, he never denigrated his nation of ancestry nor poured venom on India.”

Not needed

A former Minister of Aviation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, also criticized Badenoch, saying Nigeria doesn’t need her.

Fani-Kayode said: “No, you are not and neither do we need or want you to. You are, however, doing PR for the House Ni*gers Association & the racist, fascist scum that constitutes the far-right wing of your adopted country. Do us a favour by shutting your mouth, dropping ‘Kemi’ as your name & changing it to ‘Aunty Jemimah’ instead.”

Also, a rights activist, Aisha Yesufu, said: “If the UK doesn’t give an enabling environment for people to loot Nigeria’s wealth and take it there, poor Nigeria will not be in the same sentence. So because the bar is low in Nigeria, it doesn’t mean that she should lower the bar for their police there! She should not use her Nigerian poverty mentality to lower the bar there!

“Badenoch that said repatriation because of colonialism is a scam and we should focus on the future not the past is still hung up that a policeman stole her brother’s shoes! Gullible citizens, your enemy’s enemy is not your friend. He/she can be your worst enemy.

“Badenoch should grow up and move on! Context is everything! She was asked if she trusted the British police. How is what happened with Nigerian police a reason for her to know if she will trust her British police or not? Why also brought in our poverty?

“The United Kingdom grew on the back of people’s pain and anguish. Looted kingdoms, destroyed systems and killed people and Kemi says their wealth isn’t from people’s pain. Anyway, like I said earlier, Kemi should move on! She is not Nigerian and we get it!”

Seeking validation

Condemning the Tory leader’s utterances, Special Assistant on Digital Communication to former President Muhammadu Buhari, Bashir Ahmad, said: “Sometimes we can be so gullible and easy to deceive. This lady, while seeking validation from her masters, attacked and disrespected the country of her ancestors. The whole of Nigeria reacted bitterly and called her out.

“Now, to save face, she is trying to frame it as a regional tussle. She labeled the entire Northern Nigeria as a Boko Haram region and northerners as enemies of Yoruba.

“Unfortunately, some Nigerians have already fallen for it as I can see some applauding her, not realizing that an attack on the North, East, or West by a foreigner is an attack on all of Nigeria.
“Now she attacks the North, and you are cheering for her. You won’t understand your mistake until you travel abroad with a Nigerian passport and are identified by the false accusations she made against the North.

“Your passport doesn’t specify if you are a Southerner or I am a Northerner, or if you’re Yoruba, Igbo, or Hausa.”

Political move

A former presidential aide, Reno Omokri, on his part, said Badenoch bad-mouthing Nigeria “is just an unintelligent political move”.

Omokri added: “You have already won the Conservative Party leadership contest. You are now the party leader. Your position is secure. You do not need to schmooze the British establishment by disdaining your Black African roots, even if you are married to a White Briton.

“You are the head of an opposition party. You should be looking for votes. Politics is about addition, not subtraction. There are almost 300,000 Nigerians in the UK. Most of whom can vote. The figure is closer to a million when you add other sub-Saharan Africans.

“Your party needs their votes because regular working-class White English, Scottish, Welsh and Irish people are more likely to vote for a politician who looks like them than one who looks like Kemi Badenoch. It is a sad reality of British life that Rishi Sunak knew only too well.

“Mrs. Badenoch’s best hopes are to espouse Conservative values, to retain the support of White upper-class Britons, and not alienate the Black British vote by making snooty and condescending remarks about her fatherland and Black folks in general.”

Rabid opportunist

Similarly, Arise TV Morning Show co-anchor, Rufai Oseni, said: “I think Kemi is being disingenuous by playing the racial card. That’s what a rabid opportunist will always do. There is a difference between tribe and nationality, taking a swipe at the people from the North is a fallacy of ignoble proportions.

“Kemi Badenoch says she is a cultural warrior and with her new message has become a rabid tribal warrior too. History is replete with stories of people like Kemi, we know the score but to what end for power? Power is insidiously corrupting her! She is fast-sounding like Goebbels with her tunnel vision. I am Nigerian and I am proud.”

Meanwhile, a former spokesperson for the Labour Party, Barrister Kenneth Okonkwo has said that Badenoch like any other human being is entitled to her freedom of expression and should be allowed to do it without interference.

He added that the best way for politicians to market their country is to offer good leadership that will enable the development of their country so no outsider can denigrate the developed country.

Igboho’s defence

Yoruba Nation activist, Chief Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho, defended Badenoch, stating that she had done nothing wrong by expressing her honest views or pointing out the obvious about how corruption has stifled the nation’s progress.

Igboho urged Tinubu to caution Shettima against further verbal attacks on Badenoch for emphasising her Yoruba heritage and voicing her opinion on corruption, which has hindered Nigeria’s development.

“It is incumbent on President Bola Tinubu, who is also of Yoruba descent, to instruct Shettima to focus on his responsibilities as Vice President rather than waste energy engaging in verbal skirmishes with Badenoch, who merely shared her candid but truthful perspective on the systemic corruption in Nigeria,” he said.

“When Muhammadu Buhari was president, no one dared launch verbal attacks against his Fulani ethnic group without facing severe consequences, often through state machinery or worse.

“Under Buhari’s administration, I faced persecution for advocating against the destruction of farmlands, the killing of farmers, and the rampant sexual violations of women by Fulani herdsmen.”

Obiaraeri

An Investment Banker, Forensic Auditor and change agent, Prof Nnaemeka Onyeka Obiaraeri, said Badenoch doesn’t want to identify with “a corrupt Nigeria and Nigeria’s satanically corrupt political runners”

“Can we all stop pretending and focus on the truth and reality of our current situation, that Kemi is bringing up to the front burner? Honestly, and sincerely, the activities, actions, and corrupt games of the political class over the last 25 years, actually show a group of bandits, who do not actually believe in Nigeria”, he said.

“Kemi by the privileged position she has occupied in the UK government over the last decade may be privy to records of the properties, assets and funds, these political destiny runners, stashed away in the UK…She is so angry with them and doesn’t want anything to do with this bunch of looters and hoodlums masquerading as leaders.

“Kemi would have been very proud to identify with Prime Minister Tafawa Balewa, Dr Michael Iheonukara Okpara, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Dee Sam Mbakwe, Alhaji Lateef Jakande etc. if they were here with us today as leaders.

“Why can’t we all individually and collectively look into the mirror, repent of our wicked ways and fix our land …rather than keep grandstanding on empty “ patriotic” rant in ghaghaghaness
“Most of you attacking her, are just trying to sound woke …. You know in the deepest recesses of your hearts that Kemi stated the undiluted truth…the truth most of you are cowardly scared to voice”.