Kemi Badenoch, the leader of the UK Conservative Party and the first Black woman to hold the position, has openly complained about the racist abuse she has endured in Britain, admitting she is shocked by the scale of the hostility. But critics back home in Nigeria are quick to remind her of how she often dismisses her own country with a “wannabe Brit” attitude, throwing Nigeria under the bus to win favour with her UK audience.
In a weekend interview, Badenoch lamented that the personal attacks against her—especially online—had reached “hysterical” levels, with many suggesting she could not have achieved political success on her own. She described the smear as “Kemi derangement syndrome” and warned that rising “ethno-nationalism” in Britain was feeding racial stereotyping and toxic debates.
Yet, in the same breath, Badenoch has never hesitated to use Nigeria as a punching bag in her rhetoric, frequently painting the country as corrupt, chaotic, and a poor example of governance in order to elevate Britain’s image. While she now decries abuse in the UK, observers note that she has built much of her career by distancing herself from her Nigerian roots and disparaging the very nation that gave her identity.
“She thrives on being the model immigrant who trashes her home country to climb British political ranks,” one analyst remarked, pointing out that Badenoch regularly contrasts Nigeria’s struggles with Britain’s stability, often in exaggerated terms.
Badenoch, who previously described Britain as “an exceptionally good place for Black individuals,” now says she is “surprised” at the racism and hostility she faces as party leader. Nigerians, however, are reading between the lines: a woman who sought to deny her roots and posture as more British than the British is suddenly learning that prejudice does not discriminate.
Her rise may have reshaped the Conservative Party’s image, but it also reveals the paradox of her political persona — quick to condemn racism in Britain, yet equally quick to caricature Nigeria whenever it suits her narrative.
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