The leader of the UK Conservative Party, Kemi Badenoch says she cherishes her identity as Yoruba and has nothing in common with people from Northern Nigeria.
Badenoch was speaking in an interview in response to Nigeria’s Vice President Kashim Shettima, who recently slammed her for denigrating Nigeria while speaking wiuth the British media, urging her to drop her Nigerian name.
While her spokesperson has responded to the criticism from Shettima, Badenoch sparked fresh identity controversy while speaking with British media, The Spectator, recently.
According TRIBUNE ONLINE, she said Northern Nigeria is a haven for Islamism and Boko Haram. She expressed dismay at how she’s being identified as Nigerian, noting that she identifies less with the country.
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.
“Being Yoruba is my true identity, and I refuse to be lumped with northern people of Nigeria, who ‘were our ethnic enemies, ’ all in the name of being called a Nigerian.”
Continuing, Badenoch recalled how her surname was linked to a warrior and protector of the crown, adding that she was ready to die protecting the country (United Kingdom).
“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.”
READ ALSO:
- Worshippers trapped as fire guts Ibadan church during vigil
- My true identity is Yoruba, nothing in common with North – Kemi Badenoch
- A reflection on Daily Trust’s tension with Tinubu, by Farooq Kperogi
- Drivers, Park Operators embrace CNG As NNPC Engages Stakeholders In Taraba
- CBN Reiterates Validity of Old Naira Notes
