The opposition leader in the United Kingdom, Kemi Badenoch, recently voiced out her shock at the level of racist abuse she has faced since her election as the first Black woman to lead the Conservative Party. BENJAMIN SAMSON, in this report, takes a deep look at the claim amidst and reactions from her homeland.   

Despite previously calling Britain “the best place in the world to be Black,”in an interview with the Sunday Times, Kemi Badenoch recently narrated a barrage of personal attacks, both online and from a small number of MPs, describing the hostility as “Kemi derangement syndrome.”

She noted a rise in ethno-nationalist rhetoric on social media, stating that critics questioned her achievements due to her race and ethnicity.

She said, “There’s a certain cadre of people who clearly can’t cope with the fact that I won this, and I’m doing it. The level of personal attacks from anonymous people is hysterical. Not even just from MPs. I actually don’t think it’s that many MPs. I think it’s two to three people out of 120. That’s nothing, but online as well. People used to talk about Trump derangement syndrome. I think there’s a Kemi derangement syndrome: ‘How could she possibly have done this?”

On the social media, the Tory leader said, “There’s a lot of ethno-nationalism creeping up, lots of stuff about my race and my ethnicity and the tropes around, ‘well, she couldn’t possibly have done this all by herself.’”

Born in Wimbledon and raised in Nigeria before returning to the U.K. at 16, Badenoch has previously distanced herself from her Nigerian roots.

The Sunday Times quoted her on Saturday, saying, “I always try to think of every possible explanation before I go to race and racism. I think that is a healthy way to run a society. I remember when I stood up a few years ago and said Britain is not a racist country – ethnic minorities do very well here, it is white working-class boys who are actually struggling on a lot of metrics – and I got pilloried for that.

“My view is that there are people out there who will say whatever it is; they will throw whatever kind of mud at you, and they will hope that it sticks.”

As she prepares for her first party conference speech, Badenoch faces leadership challenges amidst speculation of a potential move by shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick, with the Conservatives polling at 17%. Dismissing such rumours as “wishful thinking” and “sour grapes,” she accused detractors of treating politics as a game.

“When I hear those things, I can tell those people are not focused on the country at all. Many of those people having those conversations think this is a game. But the lives of people in this country aren’t a game,” she said.

 Lose-lose situation

Speaking with this reporter, a Nigerian diplomat who served at the Nigerian High Commission in the U.K., Mohhmmed Abulkarim, said what she is facing is just the beginning.   

He said, “By repeatedly denigrating Nigeria to prove her loyalty to the U.K., she has burned bridges and now finds herself isolated when facing the very racism she once minimised. Mark my words, the British tabloids will use what’s out already against her. It will definitely make her quest for the prime ministership more arduous.

“Suffice to observe that she needn’t denigrate her roots and ancestry to rise in Tory politics. The bric-a-bracs between Kemi and Nigeria are unnecessary and dangerous for her political career!

“The racist backlash underscores a perceived double standard. Badenoch’s earlier denial of U.K. racism and her portrayal of Nigeria as a cautionary tale now clash with her personal experiences of abuse. She is in a lose-lose situation; rejected by the British right for her ethnicity and by Nigerians for her disloyalty.

“This saga raises questions about Diaspora identity in politics. For many Nigerians, Badenoch’s story is a warning against self-denigration for assimilation. It also highlights how figures like her navigate dual identities in an era of rising nationalism. As the UK heads toward potential elections, Badenoch’s ability to unify her party while addressing these personal attacks will be closely watched.”

Disloyalty

Likewise, a Nigeria-born Dutch entrepreneur, Dr. Wiebe Boer, faulted Kemi for publicly distancing herself from Nigeria.

“As a proud Nigerian-born and raised Dutchman, I claim Nigeria anywhere and everywhere. From boardrooms in Amsterdam to classrooms in Michigan and hospitals in Guyana, Nigeria is always in my story not just as heritage, but as part of the engine that drives who I am.

“So, I found it deeply problematic to hear that U.K. opposition leader, Kemi Badenoch, born in the U.K. to Nigerian parents has chosen to disassociate from Nigeria, saying she no longer identifies as Nigerian,” he said.

Citing global leaders such as former U.S. President Barack Obama and U.K.. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Boer argued that public figures rarely renounce their ancestral heritage even when their political careers are rooted elsewhere.

“Why? It’s because I’ve never heard Obama disavow Kenya or Indonesia even while running for president of the United States. I have never heard Sunak disassociate from his Indian or East African roots.

“In fact, it seems that identifying with Nigeria has never been more on trend in the U.K. not for optics, but because the impact of Nigerians across British life is too real to ignore.”

Also, speaking with this reporter, a Nigeria-born businessman who now resides in the U.K., Celetine Ejiofor, highlighted the influence of Nigerians in British life, listing prominent figures across sports, film, music, politics, religion, literature, and business that identify proudly with their Nigerian roots.

He said, “Kemi is simply reaping the fruits of the seed she sowed. Think about it in sports Maro Itoje, captain of England Rugby and The British and Irish Lions; Bukayo Saka, Noni Madueke, Eberechi Eze, and Ethan Nwaneri all proudly of Nigerian descent, lighting up English football.

“In film Academy Award-nominated actors like Chiwetel Ejiofor; Cynthia Erivo; David Oyelowo, and Sophie Okonedo are household names or Academy Award winner Colin Firth, who grew up in Yola, Nigeria. In music: From Seal and Sade to today’s breakout star Dave – Nigerian heritage runs deep.

“In boxing: Anthony Joshua and rising star Moses Itauma, both of Nigerian origin. In religion and politics: Former Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, once worked in Nigeria’s oil industry in Port Harcourt; the same with former U.K. Prime Minister John Major, who had a banking stint in Jos early in his career.”

Further reactions

Meanwhile, Nigerians on social media have not held back in their criticisms, viewing Badenoch’s complaints as a hypocritical flip-flop.

@khanofkhans11_ summed up the sentiment: “Kemi Badenoch getting cooked home and abroad is interesting. Nigerians at home don’t like her. Nigerians in Diaspora don’t like her. The Brits who know she’s trying to be one of them do not like her. Never forget your roots.

@Ahmaad said, I have been expecting this for a long time.. You can’t sell your brother to strangers and expect the same strangers to trust you.. I have been in support of her, but her too much Chochocho made me dislike her. It is only a matter of time she will seek forgiveness from Nigerians.

@Bisola said, Madam, it is your leaky mouth and uncontrollable tongue that is putting you under attack o, not your race or ethnicity. Meanwhile, she will not be getting any support from her Ancestral Country due to her utterances.
We celebrated and applauded her when she emerged Leader of the Conservative Party and she turned out to rub it on everybody’s face, badmouthing Nigeria at any given opportunity. Whatever she’s facing over there, we can only observe from afar as she already denounced Nigeria. Make she carry her bag by herself.

@Nkechi who is based in the U.K. wrote, you never see anything
I wish you more attacks and rejections.
You wey decide to make things difficult for us here by proposing very callous anti immigrants policies that has caused pains to thousands of immigrants in the U.K. Please take it that you are under attack from me too. I will continue to vote against your party till they dump you.

Politics

However, in his view, a political analyst, Collins Ekuniufe, said her tireless and ferocious attacks on Nigerians were all politics.  

He said, “Kemi wants to win votes in the U.K. Her Conservative Party loves tough talks on immigration. So, she points at Nigeria and says, look at their strict laws. The U.K. is too soft. It makes her sound strong. It makes her party happy. Second, it’s about attention. Every time she mentions Nigeria, it’s news. People talk. The noise keeps her name in the headlines. Third, maybe she is trying to prove she is “British oyinbo enough.”

“In summary, what does Kemi gain? Plenty; she gets votes from U.K. people who don’t know Nigeria. They hear her stories and think, wow, she has seen it all. She is tough on immigration. She gets TV time, newspaper columns, and claps from her party. Her face stays in the news. If she wants to be prime minister one day, this noise helps her climb.

However, as the leader of the Opposition, Badenoch is one general election victory away from becoming prime minister. Her words carry weight. She must wield them responsibly. She cannot afford to, as we say in Nigeria, ‘talk anyhow’ because bad-mouthing Nigeria is just an unintelligent political move.”

Continuing, he said, “You have already won the Conservative Party leadership contest. You are now the party leader. Your position is secure. You do not need to please the British establishment by disdaining your Black African roots, even if you are married to a White Briton.

“You are the head of an opposition party. You should be looking for votes. Politics is about addition, not subtraction. There are almost 300,000 Nigerians in the UK. Most of whom can vote. The figure is closer to a million when you add other sub-Saharan Africans.

“Your party needs their votes because regular working-class White English, Scottish, Welsh and Irish people are more likely to vote for a politician who looks like them than one who looks like Kemi Badenoch. It is a sad reality of British life that Rishi Sunak knew only too well.”

Little support

However, a human right activist, Barrister Grace Achubaye, said some of Kemi’s criticisms of Nigeria are justifiable given poor governance in the country over the years.

She said, “First, let us state one immutable fact, Kemi is right when she criticises the Nigerian state. No one in their right mind can deny that successive Nigerian governments have failed its citizens.

“Nigeria’s political elite rule with a fiefdom mindset, and one only needs to have a conversation with any random Nigerian to establish this. The stories are endless -people disappearing without a trace, children unlawfully arrested for speaking against government officials, and, the most notorious in recent times, the massacre of peaceful #EndSARS protesters on October 20, 2020. To speak of the Nigerian government without addressing its autocratic tendencies will not only be dishonest, but it will also be crazy.” (Courtesy except headline: Blue Print.ng)