Kemi Badenoch, Leader of United Kingdom Conservative Party, has stated that she identifies more closely with her Yoruba heritage than with Nigeria as an entire entity.
In an interview with The Spectator, a British political and cultural magazine, Badenoch discussed ongoing conversations about her connections to Nigeria after previously criticizing the governance and societal issues in the country.
Badenoch was born in the UK to Nigerian Yoruba parents and spent her early years in Nigeria before moving back to the UK at 16. Her originally Yoruba last name changed after she married a Scottish banker.
Badenoch’s remarks about Nigeria facing issues of corruption and insecurity previously triggered considerable backlash. In response, Vice President Kashim Shettima suggested that if she no longer wished to be connected with her homeland, she should consider abandoning her Yoruba/Nigerian name, Kemi.
During the interview, Badenoch highlighted her Yoruba heritage and distinguished herself from northern Nigeria, Shettima’s region of origin. She remarked:
“I find it intriguing that most people label me as a Nigerian. However, I feel a stronger connection to my specific ethnicity, Yoruba, which truly defines who I am.
“I don’t share much in common with people from the northern part of the country, where Boko Haram is active and Islamism prevails. Historically, they have been considered our ethnic adversaries, but somehow we still get grouped together with them.
“When I was very young, someone told me that my surname belonged to a lineage of warriors,” she added.
