You Can’t Insult Nigeria And Go Free!” — Dabiri-Erewa Slams UK Minister Kemi Badenoch Over Citizenship Claim

Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Chairperson of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), has called out UK Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch over her recent assertion that Nigerian law prevents women from passing citizenship to their children.

In an interview on Channels TV’s Hard Copy, Dabiri-Erewa dismissed Badenoch’s statement as “misleading and completely false,” referencing Section 25(1)(c) of Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution, which clearly states that children born outside Nigeria are eligible for citizenship if either parent is Nigerian.

“But that is not true. Don’t go on international platforms to spread misinformation,” Dabiri-Erewa said. “That is a lie. People have responded already.”

While emphasizing Nigeria’s support for its diaspora community, she stressed that denigrating the country publicly cannot go unchallenged. “It’s not about me, or the President—it’s about Nigeria. You can’t lie about your country and expect silence. Many Nigerians in the UK are excelling politically. Why focus on one person who keeps tearing down the country?”

Badenoch made the controversial claim in an interview, saying, “It’s virtually impossible to get Nigerian citizenship. I have it through my parents, but I can’t pass it to my children because I’m a woman.”

Her comments triggered widespread backlash. Senior Advocate of Nigeria Femi Falana described them as “utter ignorance,” accusing her of misleading the British public for political gain.

This is not Badenoch’s first run-in with criticism over her remarks on Nigeria. In December 2024, Vice President Kashim Shettima rebuked her for persistently “denigrating her country of origin.” Around the same period, she also faced outrage for allegedly calling Northern Nigerians “ethnic enemies” and describing Nigeria as “a very poor country” plagued by corrupt police.

Badenoch has claimed Nigerian police stole her brother’s shoes and wristwatch—a story dismissed by the Nigerian presidency as “cock and bull.” Critics, including Femi Fani-Kayode, have branded her a hypocrite, noting that her family still benefits from police protection in Lagos.

NIDCOM further revealed that Badenoch has consistently ignored efforts to engage with her.

Badenoch was elected leader of the UK Conservative Party on November 2, 2025, after the party lost the July general election. She defeated Robert Jenrick in a run-off, becoming the first Black leader of a UK-wide political party.

Born in London in 1980, Badenoch spent part of her youth in Lagos before relocating to the U.S., where her mother worked as a lecturer. She returned to the UK at age 16 due to economic hardship in Nigeria.