Kemi Badenoch, leader of the UK’s Conservative Party, has reignited debates over identity and ethnicity, declaring she identifies as Yoruba rather than Nigerian.
She cited her disconnect from northern Nigeria, which she described as “a haven for Islamism and Boko Haram.”
“I find it interesting that everybody defines me as being Nigerian. I identify less with the country than with the specific ethnicity [Yoruba],” she told The Spectator in a recent interview, according to Peoples Gazette.
She further said, “I have nothing in common with the people from the north of the country, the Boko Haram where Islamism is.”
Ms. Badenoch has faced mounting criticism from Nigerians, including public figures, for her outspoken views about Nigeria’s corruption and security challenges during interviews with British media.
Her comments, often described as unflattering, have sparked backlash across the country.
Vice President Kashim Shettima, a native of Borno State in northern Nigeria, publicly rebuked her, saying, “She could go ahead and change her name if she does not want any association with the ‘greatest black nation on earth, the nation called Nigeria.’”
Despite this, Ms. Badenoch has doubled down on her stance, stressing that her Yoruba heritage defines her identity.
“Being Yoruba is my true identity, and I refuse to be lumped with northern people of Nigeria, who ‘were our ethnic enemies,’ all in the name of being called a Nigerian.”
Reflecting on her heritage, she shared, “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,” she concluded.
