Vice President Kashim Shettima on Monday accused the newly elected UK Conservative Party leader, Kemi Badenoch, of disparaging Nigeria in her utterances.
Shettima, who spoke at the 10th Annual Migration Dialogue at the State House in Abuja said the leader of the British Labour or Conservative Party is “denigrating her nation of origin.”
In 2022, Badenoch, a UK member of parliament of Nigerian descent and then UK Prime Minister hopeful, accused Nigerian politicians of using public funds for their private matters.
After her election as UK Conservative Party leader in November 2024, the Chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa, said her office reached out to Badenoch but received no response.
Perhaps, he most prominent denunciation of Nigeria was when she said: “I don’t want this country (UK) to turn into the one I ran away from.”
The Vice President 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.
“One out of every three, four black men is a Nigerian and by 2050, Nigeria will support the United States, will be the third most populous nation on earth.”
The Vice President also highlighted the significant roles migrants play in shaping society and economic growth.
He reaffirmed the commitment of the government to protecting the rights of migrants, celebrating their legacies and contribution the national development.
Written with additional reports from Channels TV
