Former Nigerian Minister of External Affairs, Prof. Bolaji Akinyemi, has disapproved of the recent remarks made by UK Conservative Party leader, Kemi Badenoch, regarding Nigeria.
According to Prof. Akinyemi, Badenoch’s comments reflect a misguided attempt to advance her political career at the expense of her heritage.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today program on Monday, Akinyemi, a renowned professor of political science and former Director General of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), criticised Badenoch for “denigrating Nigeria on the global stage.”
“How the daughter of a professor at UNILAG, her father who was a medical doctor, a girl who went to the International School at UNILAG, would make it sound like she was selling groundnut and water in Lagos to advance her political career is beyond me,” Akinyemi said.
“She would soon learn that you don’t throw your people and your culture under the bus to advance your career. She is making a mistake, but she will learn.”
Akinyemi advised Badenoch to shift her attention to addressing challenges within Britain and her Conservative Party instead of criticising Nigeria.
“What she should be focusing on is how to regain that right-wing profile of the Conservative Party and leave Nigeria alone,” he stated.
The controversy surrounding Badenoch’s comments has drawn reactions from Nigerian officials and public figures.
Presidential spokesman Daniel Bwala recently suggested that her remarks were aimed at gaining acceptance within the Conservative Party.
Nigeria’s Vice President Kashim Shettima, in December 2024, rebuked Badenoch for disparaging Nigeria, stating that while she has the right to her opinions, she also has the freedom to dissociate herself from her Nigerian heritage, even going as far as to “remove the Kemi from her name.”