Kehinde Fajobi
Kemi Badenoch has defended her comments about Nigeria following criticism from Vice President Kashim Shettima, who accused her of disrespecting her heritage.
Shettima had suggested that Badenoch, who was born in the UK and spent much of her childhood in Nigeria, might “remove the Kemi from her name” if she was not proud of her Nigerian roots.
In response, a spokesperson for Badenoch told the BBC on Wednesday, “She stands by what she says and emphasizes that she is not Nigeria’s public relations representative.
“She leads the opposition and takes great pride in her role in this country. She speaks the truth and will not soften her words.”
Shettima’s criticism came during a speech on migration in Abuja.
He stated, “Despite her attempts to denigrate her country of origin, we remain proud of her. We see a sharp contrast between her stance and that of Rishi Sunak, the UK’s first prime minister of Indian descent, who never denigrated his nation of ancestry.”
Badenoch, born Olukemi Adegoke in Wimbledon in 1980, spent her formative years in Lagos before moving to the United States.
Her family relocated due to Nigeria’s political and economic challenges. She returned to the UK at 16 to pursue her education.
Now the Conservative Party leader, Badenoch has often spoken about the fear and instability she experienced in Lagos.
At the Conservative Party conference earlier this year, she described her childhood in Lagos as “a place where fear was everywhere.”
Last week, during a visit to the US, Badenoch described her hometown as “a place where almost everything seemed broken.”
She has previously stated that her experiences in Nigeria shaped her conservative beliefs and strong opposition to socialism.