Presidency Refutes Kemi Badenoch’s Citizenship Claim, Tells UK To Send Kemi Badenoch Back Home For Proper Education

The Nigerian Presidency has dismissed recent comments made by UK Conservative Party leader and Business Secretary, Kemi Badenoch, over citizenship rights in Nigeria, describing her claims as factually incorrect and calling for her “re-education.”

Badenoch, in an interview with CNN’s Fareed Zakaria, stated that her children could not obtain Nigerian citizenship through her because she is a woman. “I can’t give it to my children because I’m a woman,” she said, while describing Nigerian citizenship laws as restrictive.

Reacting to the statement, Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Information and Strategy, strongly rebutted the assertion in a post on his official X (formerly Twitter) handle.

“Kemi Badenoch lied. She owes her fatherland some apology. Britain should send our lost daughter Kemi Badenoch home for a proper re-education,” Onanuga wrote.

He referenced Section 25 of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria (as amended), which guarantees citizenship by birth to individuals born outside the country to either parent who is a Nigerian citizen—irrespective of gender.

“Section 25 is explicit: every person born outside Nigeria, either of whose parents is a Nigerian citizen, is entitled to Nigerian citizenship,” Onanuga emphasized.

Badenoch, who was born in the UK to Nigerian parents and spent part of her childhood in Nigeria, has been a rising figure in British politics. She is married to a Scottish banker and is a mother of three.

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Her comments have sparked criticism and fact-checking online, including a public correction by Nigerian-British lawyer and activist Dr. Shola Mos-Shogbamimu, who labeled Badenoch’s interpretation of Nigerian law as “misinformed.”

As the debate unfolds, legal experts and commentators have underscored the importance of accurate representation of constitutional facts, particularly by public figures with influence on international platforms.