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Kemi Badenoch has been elected leader of the Conservative Party, becoming the first Black person to hold this position.
The Conservative Party announced her victory on X, stating “KemiBadenoch has been elected Leader of the Conservative Party.”
Her historic win comes shortly after she faced criticism for comments about her experiences growing up in Nigeria, which sparked debate among Nigerians.
In a speech at the Conservative Party conference in Birmingham, Badenoch described her family’s time in Nigeria as filled with fear, citing concerns over break-ins and neighborhood safety.
“Triple-checking that all the doors and windows are locked, waking up in the night at every sound, listening as you hear your neighbors scream as they are being burgled and beaten, wondering if your home will be next. When you’ve experienced that kind of fear, you’re not worried about being attacked on Twitter,” she said.
These remarks sparked backlash, particularly among Nigerian Netizens who challenged the accuracy of her depiction and criticized her for portraying Nigeria in a negative light.
Critics on social media questioned how her leadership could benefit Nigeria, given her remarks, which they saw as unfair and misleading.
Badenoch moved to the United Kingdom in 1996 at the age of 16 during Nigeria’s military regime under General Sani Abacha, a period marked by political instability and human rights issues. However, some Nigerians argued that the University of Lagos staff quarters, where Badenoch’s family reportedly lived, was relatively secure compared to other parts of the country at the time.
