Veteran journalist and former presidential aide Reuben Abati has slammed Kemi Badenoch, a UK Conservative Party leader and Minister for Business and Trade, calling her a hypocrite over her recent remarks about Nigerian citizenship and immigration.
Badenoch, during an interview with Fareed Zakaria on CNN, claimed she could not pass her Nigerian citizenship to her children because she is a woman, while also criticizing how some immigrants allegedly exploit the British system—unlike in their home countries.
The UK minister, who was born in the UK to Nigerian parents, used her children’s citizenship situation to highlight what she described as gender-based inequalities in Nigerian law. However, her comments have since sparked controversy, especially in Nigeria.
Reacting on Arise TV’s Morning Show, Reuben Abati condemned Badenoch’s remarks, saying:
“She’s trying so hard to be more British than the British by embracing anti-immigration rhetoric. It is the height of hypocrisy that she now thinks her children should take Nigerian citizenship.”
He continued:
“She says Nigeria is not doing well—so why would she want her children to be citizens of a country she constantly criticizes?”
Abati accused Badenoch of using “hard-right rhetoric” to further her political standing in the UK at the expense of her roots. His criticism adds to growing backlash from Nigerians who feel the minister’s comments undermine her heritage and misrepresent Nigeria’s policies.
Background
According to Nigeria’s citizenship laws, a child can acquire citizenship by descent through the father. While there have been calls to reform the law to allow equal rights through the mother, this has not yet been implemented. Badenoch’s claim highlights that gap, but critics like Abati argue that her framing is disingenuous and politically motivated.
