Britain should send our lost daughter Kemi Badenoch home for a proper re-education
The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, has refuted the assertion made by Kemi Badenoch, the leader of the United Kingdom’s Conservative Party, that Nigerian law prohibits women from passing citizenship to their children. Onanuga described her claim as completely false and misleading.
Ms. Badenoch, who also holds the position of the UK Secretary of State for Business and Trade, made the controversial statement during an interview with CNN’s Fareed Zakaria on Sunday. In the interview, she lamented that despite her Nigerian origin, she is unable to confer Nigerian citizenship on her children simply because she is a woman.
She remarked: “Many Nigerians are taking advantage of the UK’s relatively easy citizenship acquisition process, but it remains virtually impossible to get Nigerian citizenship. I had that citizenship by virtue of my parents; I can’t give it to my children because I’m a woman.”
Her comments stirred significant reactions, particularly from Nigerians familiar with the constitutional provisions governing citizenship. Reacting to the statement, Onanuga criticized Badenoch and suggested that she needed a proper education about the Nigerian Constitution. He expressed appreciation to Nigerian lawyer and political commentator, Shola Shogbamimu, for publicly correcting the Tory politician’s misinformation.
Onanuga clarified that Section 25 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria clearly defines the criteria for acquiring citizenship by birth, with no gender discrimination attached. He cited the relevant provisions:
Section 25 (1) of the Constitution states:
(a) Every person born in Nigeria before the date of independence, either of whose parents or any of whose grandparents belongs or belonged to a community indigenous to Nigeria;
Provided that a person shall not become a citizen of Nigeria by virtue of this section if neither of his parents nor any of his grandparents was born in Nigeria.
(b) every person born in Nigeria after the date of independence either of whose parents or any of whose grandparents is a citizen of Nigeria; and
(c) every person born outside Nigeria either of whose parents is a citizen of Nigeria.
(2) In this section, “The date of independence” means the 1st day of October 1960.”
Onanuga emphasized that this constitutional framework makes no distinction between men and women when it comes to passing on citizenship to their children. He declared: “Kemi Badenoch lied. She owes her fatherland an apology.”
Furthermore, Onanuga’s remark, “Britain should send our lost daughter Kemi Badenoch home for a proper re-education,” underscores the gravity with which the Nigerian government views such a misrepresentation, particularly from someone of Nigerian descent who occupies a significant position in British politics.
The Nigerian public and legal experts have also echoed these clarifications, stressing that the constitutional stipulations are clear, gender-neutral, and well-established in law.