During a recent interview with Channels TV, former Nigerian Minister of Foreign Affairs Professor Bolaji Akinyemi condemned UK Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch for what he perceives as a calculated misrepresentation of her Nigerian background just to advance her political career.
Akinyemi challenged Badenoch’s portrayal of her upbringing. “She’s the daughter of a professor of Unilag, her father, who was a medical doctor,” he stated, highlighting her privileged family background. He criticized her attempt to construct a narrative of economic hardship, suggesting she was falsely presenting herself as having struggled financially.
“A girl who schooled at Unilag will make it sound like she was selling groundnut and selling pure water in Lagos,” Akinyemi stated, revealing the stark contrast between Badenoch’s actual background and her continuous public narrative.
The renowned diplomat accused Badenoch of strategically leveraging her Nigerian origins for political gain. “She is doing this in order to advance her political career,” he asserted, warning that such an approach is fundamentally misguided. “She will soon learn that you don’t throw your own people and your own culture under the bus in order to advance your career.”
Badenoch had previously claimed, “I grew up in a poor country and I watched my relatively wealthy family become poorer and poorer and poorer despite working harder and harder as their money disappeared.” This statement stands in direct contrast to Akinyemi’s characterization of her background.
Arriving in London at 16, Badenoch was sent by her parents to pursue opportunities abroad. Since becoming the UK Conservative Party leader, she has repeatedly criticized left-wing politics and Nigerian governance, an approach that has drawn significant criticism, including from the current Tinubu administration.
Akinyemi’s critique goes beyond personal criticism, presenting a broader argument about cultural representation and political opportunism. “She’s making a mistake, but she will soon learn,” he concluded, advising Badenoch to focus on her party’s profile rather than continually disparaging Nigeria.