Kemi Badenoch Responds to VP Shettima’s Criticism

Kemi Badenoch, leader of the United Kingdom Conservative Party and the first Black woman to lead a major UK political party, has reaffirmed her critical stance on Nigeria following comments from Nigerian Vice President Kashim Shettima. Badenoch’s spokesperson emphasized that she has no interest in managing Nigeria’s public image, following Shettima’s critique that she had denigrated her ancestral country.

Badenoch, born in 1980 to Yoruba parents in the UK, spent her childhood in Nigeria before returning to Britain at the age of 16. In previous statements, she described Nigeria as a country plagued by corruption, insecurity, and socialist policies, which she said fueled her resolve to succeed in the UK.

“This is my country. I don’t want it to become like the place I ran away from,” Badenoch has said, explaining that her experiences growing up in Nigeria shaped her political views. She described the pervasive fear and instability she witnessed, recounting nights of locking doors and windows, hearing neighbors being burgled and attacked, and living with the constant anxiety of being next.

Vice President Shettima, speaking on Monday, criticized Badenoch’s remarks, contrasting her with Rishi Sunak, the former UK Prime Minister of Indian ancestry, who he described as a “brilliant young man” who never disparaged his ancestral nation.

Responding to the criticism, a spokesperson for Badenoch stood firm. “Kemi is not interested in doing Nigeria’s PR; she is the leader of the opposition in the UK,” the spokesperson stated. “She tells the truth. She tells it like it is. She’s not going to couch her words, and she stands by what she says.”

Shettima also suggested Badenoch should reconsider identifying with her Nigerian roots if she no longer wishes to embrace them, referencing her decision to adopt her husband’s Scottish surname after marrying Hamish Badenoch. Born Olukemi Adegoke, Badenoch has continued to use her full name publicly, but her political identity remains firmly tied to her British citizenship and platform.