Abike Dabiri-Erewa, chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), has shared that Kemi Badenoch, the newly elected leader of the UK Conservative Party, ignored Nigeria’s efforts to connect with her. Dabiri-Erewa said this in an interview on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Wednesday.
According to Dabiri-Erewa, Nigeria had contacted Badenoch several times but received no response.
“It depends on if she identifies with the Nigerianess in her. We have reached out to her once or twice without any response, so we don’t force people to accept to be Nigerian. Until she got into a little problem with South Africa, she identified with Nigeria, came to Nigeria, and we hosted her. As long as that blood is in you, you’re a Nigerian.
“So, it depends on Kemi to decide whether she appreciates the Nigerianess in her, whether she wants to work with Nigeria, but we cannot force anybody,” Abike stated.
Badenoch was born in London and spent part of her childhood in Lagos before moving to the UK at 16. Recently, she made history by becoming the first Black leader of the Conservative Party after winning 57 per cent of the votes in a leadership contest. She succeeded Rishi Sunak, who resigned after the Conservative Party’s defeat in the July general election.
Dabiri-Erewa further said that Nigeria would welcome anyone who chooses to engage with their Nigerian heritage. She cited Miss Universe Nigeria, Chidimma Adetishina, as embracing their roots.
Despite her Nigerian heritage, Badenoch has faced criticism for her controversial views, including derogatory remarks about immigrants. Her political stance and rhetoric seem disconnected from the struggles of African nations, as noted by several social media users. Badenoch, however, has said she is focused on challenging left-wing thinking and reducing the size of the state.
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