“Her Dad Was a Professor, She Didn’t Sell Sachet Water in Lagos” – Bolaji Akinyemi Slams Kemi Badenoch

Former Nigerian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bolaji Akinyemi, has criticized Kemi Badenoch, the leader of the UK’s Conservative Party, for her repeated negative comments about Nigeria. Speaking on Politics Today, a Channels Television program, Akinyemi accused Badenoch of using disparaging remarks about her country of birth to advance her political career in the UK.

Badenoch has faced growing criticism in Nigeria for her characterization of the country. Before assuming leadership of the Conservative Party, she described Nigeria as a socialist state plagued by corruption and insecurity. She has also spoken about the hardships she experienced while growing up in Lagos, portraying the country as a place that destroys lives.

Last week, Badenoch reiterated her stance, saying, “I grew up in a poor country and watched my relatively wealthy family become poorer and poorer, despite working harder and harder as their money disappeared with inflation.” She recounted returning to the UK at 16 with her father’s last £100, determined to seek a better life.

Reacting to these remarks, Akinyemi rejected Badenoch’s portrayal of her upbringing. He pointed out that her father was a professor at the University of Lagos and a medical doctor, while she attended the prestigious International School at UNILAG. “How can the daughter of a professor at UNILAG—a girl who went to an international school—make it sound like she was selling groundnuts and sachet water in Lagos?” he asked.

He warned that Badenoch was making a mistake by distancing herself from her Nigerian heritage for political gain. “She would soon learn that you don’t throw your people and your culture under the bus to advance your career,” Akinyemi said. He advised her to focus on shaping the Conservative Party’s political direction rather than using Nigeria as a scapegoat.