The Chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa, has criticised United Kingdom Conservative Party leader, Kemi Badenoch, over her recent claim that Nigerian law prevents her from passing citizenship to her children because she is a woman.
Dabiri-Erewa, speaking as a guest on Channels Television’s Hard Copy, described Badenoch’s remarks as “misleading” and “entirely untrue.”
She argued that Badenoch’s claim was against Section 25(1)(c) of the 1999 Constitution, which says a person born outside Nigeria qualifies for citizenship if either parent is a Nigerian citizen.
“But that is not true. Don’t divulge false information. You go on international media and spin a lie — that is a lie — that is not even true. And I’m sure people have responded,” she said on Friday.
The diaspora chairman argued that denigrating one’s country publicly must be challenged, and while Nigeria supports its diaspora, no one can be forced to love their homeland.
“It’s not true, so why tell us something that is not true? Do you know the number of Nigerians we have in the UK in the political space who are doing very well? We don’t have to focus on one person, but when you denigrate your country, we reply to you.
“It’s not about me, or the President, or you — it’s about Nigeria. You can’t lie about your country, and then we keep quiet. There are many who are doing very well politically. So ours is to continue to work with every Nigerian in the diaspora, but you can’t force anybody,” Dabiri-Erewa said.
Badenoch had made the controversial claim during an interview, saying, “It’s virtually impossible, for example, to get Nigerian citizenship. I have that citizenship by virtue of my parents. I can’t give it to my children because I’m a woman.
“Yet loads of Nigerians come to the UK and stay for a relatively free period of time, acquire British citizenship. We need to stop being naive.”
Her comment, however, drew widespread backlash, including from Senior Advocate of Nigeria and human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, who described the statement as “a display of utter ignorance” and accused her of misinforming the British public to score political points.
Precedence
This is not the first time Badenoch has been embroiled in controversy over her remarks about Nigeria.
In December 2024, Vice-President Kashim Shettima publicly rebuked her for “denigrating her country of origin,” accusing her of repeatedly speaking negatively about Nigeria in contrast to her British identity.
Around the same period, she faced criticism for reportedly describing Northern Nigerians as “ethnic enemies” and stating that she identified more with her Yoruba roots than the Nigerian nation.
She also drew backlash after alleging that Nigerian police officers once stole her brother’s shoes and wristwatch. Badenoch had also described Nigeria as “a very poor country” and said its police often misuse their power.
The presidency dismissed the claims as a “cock and bull” story, while figures like Femi Fani-Kayode called her out for hypocrisy, pointing out that Nigerian police were still providing security for her family in Lagos.
Critics have often accused Badenoch of deliberately distancing herself from Nigeria to appeal to a conservative Western audience. NIDCOM has also claimed that she has refused to engage with outreach efforts from the commission.
Badenoch was elected as the new leader of the UK Conservative Party on 2 November 2025, replacing Rishi Sunak after the party’s defeat in the July general election.
She won 57 per cent of the vote in a two-way contest against former immigration minister Robert Jenrick, becoming the first Black leader of a UK-wide political party.
Born in London in 1980, Badenoch spent her early years in Lagos, Nigeria, and later in the United States, where her mother was a lecturer. She returned to the UK at age 16 to live with a family friend due to the economic situation in Nigeria.
