Kemi Badenoch Dismisses Shettima’s Criticism, Says She Won’t Sugarcoat Nigeria’s Failures

Kemi Badenoch, leader of the United Kingdom’s Conservative Party, has reiterated her stance on her comments about Nigeria, despite backlash from Nigeria’s Vice President Kashim Shettima, who accused her of disparaging the country.

Badenoch, who was born in the UK but spent much of her childhood in Nigeria, has often described her upbringing as marred by insecurity, corruption, and the consequences of poor governance. She previously remarked, “I grew up in Nigeria and saw firsthand what happens when politicians use public money as their private piggy banks, polluting the political atmosphere and failing to serve others.”

On Monday, Shettima criticized Badenoch, accusing her of denigrating her heritage. He compared her to UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who has never publicly criticized India, and suggested she consider changing her first name if she no longer wished to associate with her roots.

Responding to Shettima’s remarks, a spokesperson for Badenoch said she stands by her comments and has no interest in “doing PR for Nigeria.”

“She is proud of her leadership of the opposition and speaks the truth as she sees it. She won’t sugarcoat her words and stands firmly by what she has said,” the spokesperson added.