The leader of the UK’s Conservative Party, Kemi Badenoch, has doubled down on her previous remarks about Nigeria, asserting that she is not a public relations representative for the country.
Her clarification comes in the wake of sharp criticism from Kashim Shettima, who recently accused her of making disparaging comments about her country of origin.
Badenoch, who was born in the UK but spent much of her childhood in Nigeria, has frequently spoken about the difficulties she encountered growing up there.
She has described Nigeria as a nation beset by “fear, insecurity, and corruption.”
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On Monday, Shettima publicly slammed Badenoch during an event in Abuja celebrating the contributions of Nigerian immigrants to national development.
He suggested that if Badenoch was not proud of her Nigerian heritage, she might as well “remove the Kemi from her name.” The name ‘Kemi,’ a common Yoruba name, is widely associated with South-West Nigeria.
While acknowledging Nigeria’s pride in Badenoch’s achievements, Shettima argued that her remarks about her country of origin were unnecessary and uncalled for.
“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,” Shettima said, drawing applause from the audience.
But, in response to Shettima’s comments, Badenoch insisted on standing by her words, saying she had no intention of softening her statements. “I tell the truth. I tell it like it is. I am not going to couch my words,” she told reporters on Wednesday. “I am the leader of the opposition, and I am very proud of my leadership of the opposition in this country. I am not the PR for Nigeria.”
Badenoch’s past remarks, which often highlighted her experiences growing up in Nigeria, sparked debate in the UK and Nigeria.
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