Kemi Badenoch ‘not the PR for Nigeria’ and ‘stands by’ comments on country after criticism
Kemi Badenoch has stood by her comments about Nigeria after the country’s vice president criticised her remarks.
Ms Badenoch was born in the London suburb of Wimbledon, and raised in Nigeria, before returning to the UK at the age of 16.
She has spoken often about her life and childhood in Nigeria – especially during the Tory leadership race.
But now one senior Nigerian politician has taken issue with her comments.
Vice president Kashim Shettima accused the Conservative leader of disparaging the country.
Mr Shettima added: “She is entitled to her own opinions, she has every right to remove the Kemi from her name.”
Asked about the comments, a spokesperson for Ms Badenoch said she “stands by what she says” and “is not the PR for Nigeria”.
They added: “She is the leader of the opposition and she is very proud of her leadership of the opposition in this country.
“She tells the truth. She tells it like it is. She is not going to couch her words.”
It is not clear which statements the Nigerian politician was responding to.
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Ms Badenoch has previously described growing up in Nigeria and seeing a government beset by corruption and dysfunction.
On one occasion, she said that growing up in Nigeria she has “seen what happens when politicians are in it for themselves… using public money as their private piggy banks”.
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The latest comments were made by the Nigerian vice president in a speech about immigration that also compared her to former prime minister Rishi Sunak – who Mr Shettima said was “a brilliant young man”.