UK Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch has responded to criticism from Nigeria’s Vice President Kashim Shettima, reiterating her stance on comments she made about Nigeria, and asserting that she is not a public relations agent for the country.
Born in 1980 in the UK to Nigerian Yoruba parents, Badenoch spent much of her childhood in Nigeria before returning to the UK at 16. She has previously described Nigeria as a nation plagued by corruption, insecurity, and socialist policies that have stifled progress.
During her campaign to lead the Conservative Party, Badenoch said:
“This is my country. I don’t want it to become like the place I ran away from. I grew up in Nigeria, and I saw firsthand what happens when politicians use public money as their private piggy banks and pollute the political system with self-serving agendas. I witnessed poverty, fear, and broken dreams—what socialism brings to millions.”
She also shared personal experiences of living in fear in Nigeria, recalling:
“You cannot understand it unless you’ve lived it—triple-checking doors and windows, waking up to screams of neighbors being burgled and beaten, wondering if your house was next.”
On Monday, VP Shettima accused Badenoch of unfairly disparaging Nigeria during an event in Abuja that celebrated the contributions of Nigerian immigrants. He implied that if Badenoch was ashamed of her Nigerian heritage, she could disassociate herself entirely.
“She is entitled to her opinions; she has every right to remove the ‘Kemi’ from her name if she so desires,” Shettima said. “But that doesn’t change the fact that Nigeria remains the greatest black nation on earth.”
A spokesperson for Badenoch, however, responded firmly, stating:
“Kemi is not interested in doing Nigeria’s PR. She is the leader of the opposition in the UK and speaks the truth as she sees it. She stands by her remarks.”
Badenoch, born Olukemi Adegoke, married Scottish banker Hamish Badenoch and adopted his surname. Despite her ties to Nigeria, she maintains that her political priorities are firmly aligned with her role in the UK.
