I have nothing in common with Northern Nigeria, Boko Haram — UK party leader, Kemi Badenoch replies VP Shettima

Eric Patrick 

The leader of the United Kingdom's Conservative Party, Kemi Badenoch has sais that she identifies more with her Yoruba heritage than with Nigeria as a whole. 

In an interview with The Spectator, Badenoch expressed that she feels little connection to northern Nigeria, which she described as a "haven for Islamism and Boko Haram."

“I find it interesting that everybody defines me as being Nigerian. I identify less with the country than with the specific ethnicity (Yoruba), she stated. 

“I have nothing in common with the people from the north of the country, the Boko Haram where Islamism is,” she added.

Her statements have drawn significant backslash from many Nigerians, including high-profile figures. 

Among her critics is Nigeria’s vice-president, Kashim Shettima, who recently told Badenoch she could change her name if she wished to disassociate from Nigeria, calling it the “greatest black nation on earth.”

Despite the criticism, Badenoch has doubled down on her stance, asserting that her true identity lies in her Yoruba roots.

She added, "Somebody once told me when I was very young that my surname was a name for people who were warriors. They protected the crown, and that’s what I see myself as doing.”

She further emphasised, “I am here to protect and I will die protecting this country because I know what’s out there.”

Thewatch Africa earlier reported that Vice President, Kashim Shettima, accused Kemi of disparaging her country of origin, Nigeria. 

He had made the statement on Monday during the 10th Annual Migration Dialogue at the State House in Abuja.

Shettima said, “Kemi Badenoch, the leader of the British Labour or Conservative Party. We are proud of her in spite of her efforts at denigrating her nation of origin.

“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.”

The Vice President highlighted Nigeria’s significance on the world stage, stating, “One out of every three, four black men is a Nigerian and by 2050, Nigeria will support the United States, and will be the third most populous nation on earth.”