Femi Falana Sh*cks UK Minister Badenoch With Fiery Nationality Claim

Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), has refuted claims made by UK Conservative Party leader, Kemi Badenoch, regarding Nigerian citizenship.

Badenoch recently stated that she could not pass Nigerian citizenship to her children because she is a woman.

However, in a statement issued on Monday, Falana described her remarks as a reflection of “complete ignorance” of Nigerian law.

Citing constitutional provisions, Falana clarified that Badenoch’s children are Nigerians by birth, regardless of where they were born or the gender of their Nigerian parent.

“Contrary to Kemi Badenoch’s misleading assertion, her children are Nigerian because she is Nigerian,” Falana stated. “The claim that she cannot confer citizenship on them due to her gender contradicts Sections 25(b) and (c) of the Nigerian Constitution.”

He further pointed to Section 42(2) of the Constitution, which ensures equal rights for all Nigerian citizens, irrespective of gender or circumstances of birth.

“No Nigerian citizen shall suffer any form of discrimination or disadvantage based on their birth circumstances, gender, political views, or social class,” he said.

Falana added that Badenoch’s two children are dual citizens of both Nigeria and the United Kingdom. He explained that it is up to the children themselves to renounce Nigerian citizenship once they reach adulthood, as stipulated in Section 29 of the Constitution.

He also rejected Badenoch’s claim that obtaining Nigerian citizenship is “virtually impossible,” highlighting that Sections 26 and 27 of the Constitution provide clear pathways for foreigners to acquire citizenship through registration or naturalization if certain conditions are met.

While acknowledging the need for reforms in Nigerian citizenship laws, Falana criticized the gender imbalance: “Currently, a woman married to a Nigerian man can obtain citizenship by registration, but the same does not apply to a man married to a Nigerian woman — a reflection of the society’s patriarchal structure.”

He concluded by accusing Badenoch of seeking to gain political favor with British voters by spreading misinformation that unfairly portrays Nigeria in a negative light.