The leader of the United Kingdom’s Conservative Party, Kemi Badenoch, has stated that she feels a stronger connection to her Yoruba heritage than to Nigeria itself. In an interview with The Spectator, Badenoch emphasized her identity rooted in Yoruba ethnicity and said she does not feel a connection to northern Nigeria, which she described as a region associated with Islamism and Boko Haram.
She stated, “I find it interesting that everybody defines me as being Nigerian. I identify less with the country than with the specific ethnicity (Yoruba).”
“I have nothing in common with the people from the north of the country, the Boko Haram where Islamism is,” she added.
Badenoch also referenced her warrior heritage, saying, “Somebody once told me when I was very young that my surname was a name for people who were warriors. They protected the crown, and that’s what I see myself as doing. I am here to protect and I will die protecting this country because I know what’s out there.”
Her remarks have sparked significant backlash from many Nigerians, including high-profile figures. One of her critics, Nigeria’s Vice President, Kashim Shettima, recently suggested that Badenoch could change her name if she wished to completely disassociate from Nigeria, describing the country as the greatest black nation on earth.
