Badenoch defends Nigeria remarks amid criticism

Kemi Badenoch has reaffirmed her previous remarks concerning Nigeria, following an accusation from the West African nation’s vice-president that she disparaged the country. The leader of the Conservative Party, who was born in the United Kingdom but spent most of her formative years in Nigeria, has frequently recounted experiencing fear and insecurity during her upbringing in a country she characterizes as afflicted by corruption. On Monday, Kashim Shettima, Nigeria’s Vice-President, remarked that Ms. Badenoch might “remove the Kemi from her name” should she lack pride in her “nation of origin.” In response to inquiries regarding Shettima’s comments, a spokesman for Ms. Badenoch stated that she “stands by what she says” and “is not the PR for Nigeria.” He informed journalists, “She is the leader of the opposition and she is very proud of her leadership of the opposition in this country.” The spokesman added, “She tells the truth. She tells it like it is. She is not going to couch her words.” While delivering an address on migration in Abuja, the Nigerian capital, Mr. Shettima asserted that his government remained “proud” of Ms. Badenoch “in spite of her efforts at denigrating her nation of origin.” Mr. Shettima received applause as he declared: “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.” He drew a contrast between Ms. Badenoch’s stance and that of her predecessor, Rishi Sunak—the United Kingdom’s first prime minister of Indian heritage—describing him as “a brilliant young man” who “never denigrated his nation of ancestry.” The specific comments to which Mr. Shettima was referring remain unspecified, though Ms. Badenoch has often referenced her Nigerian upbringing in various speeches and interviews. Olukemi Adegoke, born in Wimbledon in 1980, spent her formative years in Lagos, Nigeria, and in the United States, where her mother, a physiology professor, lectured. She moved back to the United Kingdom at the age of 16 to reside with a friend of her mother, a decision prompted by the deteriorating political and economic situation in Nigeria, and to pursue her A-levels. Following her marriage to Scottish banker Hamish Badenoch, she adopted her husband’s surname. At this year’s Conservative Party conference, Ms. Badenoch highlighted the contrast between the freedoms she encountered in the UK and her childhood in Lagos, a place she described as “where fear was everywhere.” She graphically depicted the city as lawless, and recounted hearing “neighbours scream as they are being burgled and beaten – and wondering if your home will be next.” Last week, while on a visit to the United States, she characterized her home city as “a place where almost everything seemed broken.” Her experiences, she stated, contributed to the formation of her conservative ideals and positioned her in opposition to socialism.