Atiku aide to Shettima: Kemi Badenoch’s name doesn’t make her a Nigerian, focus on something important
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s aide, Phrank Shaibu, has berated Vice President Kashim Shettima for engaging in small talk with UK Conservative leader, Kemi Badenoch instead of focusing on more important issues.
He wrote: “Those criticizing @KemiBadenoch should pause for a moment of introspection. The mere fact that her name is Kemi or that she has Yoruba roots does not automatically render her Nigerian. After all, Arsenal’s Gabriel Jesus @gabrieljesus9 is not the son of God. @officialSKSM should find something useful to do with his time.”
Badenoch has been critical of Nigeria, seizing every opportunity to talk down on the country even though in 2010 she sought the support of the Nigerian community in the United Kingdom in her bid to win a seat in the British parliament.
A campaign document which has been making the rounds on social media showed that during her campaign for Dulwich and West Norwood, she reached out to Nigerians while highlighting her roots.
In a message to her Nigerian supporters, she particularly pledged to uplift the image of the country through her position in the British political system.
But at the Conservative Party conference while seeking to be the leader of her party, Badenoch claimed that her upbringing in Nigeria was overshadowed by fear and insecurity in a country plagued by corruption.
In one of her interviews with the British media after becoming the Conservative party leader, Badenoch said she did not want the UK to experience what made her flee Nigeria.
Reacting, Shettima, during the 10th Annual Migration Dialogue last Monday, accused Badenoch of disparaging her country of origin, Nigeria, after she emerged as the UK’s Conservative Party leader.
The vice president stated that she had the right to express her opinions but could not diminish the country’s value.
Shettima proposed that Badenoch might “remove the Kemi from her name” if she did not feel pride in her “nation of origin.”
In response, Badenoch reaffirmed that she stood by her words, stating that she is not a Public Relations representative for Nigeria.
However, in a post on his X page on Saturday, Shaibu said that despite bearing the name Kemi, it does not automatically make the UK lawmaker a Nigerian.
