I Identify More As Yoruba Than Nigerian - Kemi Badenoch

Kemi Badenoch

Kemi Badenoch, leader of the United Kingdom’s Conservative Party,  has said that she finds it interesting that everyone defines her as a Nigerian.

According to her, she identifies more with her Yoruba heritage than with the country itself.

Badenoch, in an interview with ‘The Spectator’, asserted that her true identity lies in her Yoruba roots and feels no connection to northern Nigeria, which she described as a haven for Islamism and Boko Haram.

She said, “I find it interesting that everybody defines me as being Nigerian. I identify less with the country than with the specific ethnicity (Yoruba).

“I have nothing in common with the people from the north of the country, the Boko Haram where Islamism is.

“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.”

It would be recalled that Kemi Badenoch’s comments about Nigeria have drawn significant backlash from many Nigerians, including high-profile figures.

Among her critics is Nigeria’s vice-president, Kashim Shettima, who recently told Badenoch she could change her name if she wished to disassociate from Nigeria, calling it the greatest black nation on earth.