Kemi Badenoch, a leader of the United Kingdom’s Conservative Party, is facing strong criticism from human rights lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN), over her comments on Nigerian citizenship, describing her remarks as a display of “utter ignorance” of Nigeria’s legal provisions.
Falana’s reaction came after Badenoch’s interview where she claimed, “I cannot pass it [Nigerian citizenship] to my children because I am a woman,” and further described acquiring Nigerian citizenship as “virtually impossible.”
In a rejoinder on Monday, July 21, Falana cited the Nigerian Constitution, clarifying that Badenoch’s children are Nigerian by birth, irrespective of their birthplace or their mother’s gender.
“Contrary to Kemi Badenoch’s misleading claim, her children are Nigerians because she is a Nigerian,” Falana stated.
“Her assertion that she cannot give Nigerian citizenship to her children because she is a woman is not in consonance with Section 25(b) and (c) of the Nigerian Constitution…”
Falana further referenced Section 42(2), which guarantees equal rights to all Nigerian citizens, regardless of gender or birth circumstances.
“No citizen of Nigeria shall be subjected to any disability or deprivation merely by reason of the circumstances of his birth, gender, political opinion or class,” Falana explained.
According to the senior advocate, Badenoch’s two children are dual citizens of Nigeria and the United Kingdom. “It is up to the children to renounce their Nigerian citizenship upon the attainment of full age in accordance with Section 29 of the Nigerian Constitution,” he said.
Falana also refuted Badenoch’s claim that acquiring Nigerian citizenship is “virtually impossible,” stressing that Sections 26 and 27 of the Constitution make clear provisions for foreigners to obtain citizenship by registration or naturalisation upon meeting specified conditions.
He, however, acknowledged gaps in the law that require reform, saying “A woman who is married to a Nigerian man is qualified for registration as a citizen. But the same right is not accorded to a man who is married to a Nigerian woman because of the patriarchal nature of the society.”
Falana accused Badenoch of attempting to curry favour with the British electorate at Nigeria’s expense, warning that such misinformation unfairly maligns her country of origin.
Persecondnews reports that Badenoch, who was born in the UK but raised in Nigeria by her Nigerian parents until the age of 16, became Leader of the Opposition and Leader of the Conservative Party on November 2, 2024.
She is known for making comments that have sparked controversy, particularly regarding Nigeria, where she described it as a “living hell”, recounted experiences of having to walk a mile to access running water, and claimed that lizards would emerge from the taps.
Badenoch also criticised the Nigeria Police, recounting her negative experiences, saying, “My experience with the police in Nigeria was very negative, whereas in the UK, my first encounter was very positive. In Nigeria, the police would even rob us.
“I remember the police stealing my brother’s shoes and his watch. It is a very poor country, so people do all sorts of things.”
Persecondnews recalls that Vice President Kashim Shettima responded to one of her scathing attacks on Nigeria on December 9, 2024, accusing the Conservative leader of disparaging the country.
He said: “Kemi Badenoch, the leader of the British Labour or Conservative Party. We are proud of her despite her efforts at denigrating her nation of origin.”
He also went on to say Badenoch could remove “Kemi from her name” if she was not proud of her country of origin.
“Kemi Badenoch, the leader of the British Labour or Conservative Party. We are proud of her despite her efforts at denigrating her nation of origin.
“She is entitled to her own opinions; she has even every right to remove the Kemi from her name, but that does not underscore the fact that the greatest black nation on earth is the nation called Nigeria.
“One out of every three or four black men is a Nigerian, and by 2050, Nigeria will surpass the United States and will be the third most populous nation on earth,” Shetima said.
He compared Badenoch’s approach to that of her predecessor, Rishi Sunak, whom he described as “a brilliant young man” who “never denigrated his nation of ancestry.”
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