The newly elected leader of the United Kingdom Conservative Party who is of Nigerian descent, Kemi Badenoch, has insisted that Nigeria is filled with corrupt politicians.
Replying to Nigerian Vice President, Kashim Shettima, Badenoch, asked the VP to stop defending what is obvious, saying she is not her country of origin’s Public Relations Officer.
She had, during her tour in U.S., accused public officeholders in Nigeria of gross corruption.
Badenoch mentioned that she grew up in a country that is unsafe and corrupt, claiming that Nigerian politicians are misappropriating public funds and wrecking the nation.
Badenoch had in 2022, made the arguments and had expressed her disgust towards the alleged corrupt attitudes of Nigerian politicians.
The UK member of parliament had reportedly ignored the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM) when it reached out to her office.
The commission’s chairman, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, disclosed that the NIDCOM wrote to her but it received no response.
Reacting to Badenoch’s accusations, Shettima claimed that the parliamentarian has been disparaging Nigeria, her country of origin.
Speaking during the 10th Annual Migration Dialogue at the State House in Abuja, the VP expressed pride in Kemi Badenoch, in spite of her alleged efforts at denigrating Nigeria.
For the VP, Badenoch is entitled to her own opinions, adding that she even has every right to remove the Kemi from her name, but that does not change the fact that Nigeria is the greatest black nation on earth.
The Vice President highlighted Nigeria’s significance on the world stage, noting that one out of every three, or four black men is a Nigerian and that by 2050, Nigeria will support the United States and will be the third most populous nation on earth.
Emphasising the key role of migrants in shaping society and contributing to economic growth, Shettima reiterated the Federal Government’s commitment to protecting migrant rights and celebrating their contributions to national development.
However, in her response to Shettima’s defence, Badenoch’s spokesperson, said the parliamentarian stands by what she said and that she is not Nigeria’s PR.
“She (Badenoch) is a leader of the opposition and she is very proud of her leadership of the opposition in this country. She is telling the truth. She says it as it is,” the spokesperson said.
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