"I'm British": Kemi Badenoch Renounces Nigerian Roots in Fresh Disclaimer
- UK Minister Kemi Badenoch has reaffirmed that she no longer identifies as Nigerian, stressing her primary identity is British
- She clarified during a GB News interview that nationality and ethnicity are different and urged politicians to focus solely on UK matters
- The comments have reignited debates around dual heritage, especially after she revealed she hasn’t renewed her Nigerian passport in over 20 years
United Kingdom Conservative minister, Kemi Badenoch, has once again drawn attention to her views on national identity as she firmly state that she no longer considers herself Nigerian despite her family roots and years spent living in the country during her youth.
Speaking during an appearance on GB News, a clip of which has gone viral on TikTok, the British lawmaker clarified that while her ancestry links her to Nigeria, her primary and personal identity is British.
Source: Twitter
“My main identity is as British. That is what I see myself as,” she said, while adding that “Nigeria is a nationality, not an ethnicity.”
Badenoch, who currently serves as Secretary of State for Business and Trade, further explained that there is no unified Nigerian language or ethnicity, and she encouraged politicians, especially those who immigrated to the UK, to place their full attention on issues affecting British citizens.
“As a politician in this country, we need to be very focused on what is happening here, not what’s happening elsewhere,” she said.
“If you come to this country, you need to be very focused on making sure that you integrate.”
Badenoch ditches Nigerian passport
Her latest remarks echo similar sentiments she expressed earlier on August 1 during the Rosebud podcast hosted by Gyles Brandeth. There, she revealed that she hadn’t renewed her Nigerian passport in over two decades and no longer felt a personal connection to the country in terms of identity.
“By identity I’m not really Nigerian,” she said.
“I know the country very well, I have a lot of family there, and I’m very interested in what happens there,” she added.
Source: Facebook
Badenoch was born in Wimbledon, South London, in 1980. Though British by birth, she spent several formative years living in Nigeria and the United States before returning to the UK at age 16.
She is among the final cohort of people granted automatic UK citizenship at birth before the British Nationality Act was amended in 1981 under Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.
In past comments reported by Legit.ng, Badenoch described Nigeria as a place “where fear is everywhere,” a statement that drew criticism from some Nigerians online but also praise from others who shared her concern over the country’s systemic issues.
Kemi Badenoch likely to be replaced
Legit.ng earlier reported that unrest within the United Kingdom’s Conservative Party had intensified as poll ratings for the party dropped ahead of next week’s local elections, raising questions about Kemi Badenoch’s leadership.
Badenoch, who has served as Tory leader for six months, faced criticism for focusing on issues deemed irrelevant to the party’s current challenges.
According to Bloomberg, polls indicated that her performance has been poor, with critics highlighting her emphasis on opposing “left-wing nonsense”, such as excessive regulation and identity politics, rather than presenting detailed policy frameworks.
Source: Legit.ng
