The Presidency has dismissed recent comments made by Kemi Badenoch, the newly elected leader of the United Kingdom Conservative Party, about her upbringing in Nigeria, describing them as a “cock and bull story.”.
In a statement on Monday, President Bola Tinubu’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Temitope Ajayi, accused Badenoch of fabricating claims about her childhood in Nigeria.
Badenoch had alleged that her upbringing in Nigeria was overshadowed by fear and insecurity, attributing this to widespread corruption in the country. Following her election as UK Conservative Party leader in November 2024, efforts by the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM) to reach out to her reportedly went unanswered.
Reacting to her remarks, Ajayi criticized Badenoch in a post on X, saying: “You are Kemi Badenoch, an opposition leader and a future Prime Minister of the UK. A journalist asked you about the state of the police in the country you hope to govern. Instead of addressing the question, you shared an inane cock and bull story of how policemen stole your brother’s shoe in Nigeria.”
Ajayi further alleged that Badenoch’s comments were inconsistent with her privileged background. “Her story of carrying a desk and chair to sit in class at ISL didn’t add up. Her claim of having no clean water to drink was complete baloney for a girl who grew up in an upper-middle-class family—her mother a university professor and her father a successful medical doctor who ran a private hospital with a rich clientele,” he wrote.
The Presidency questioned the credibility of Badenoch’s statements, alleging that they were fabricated to enhance her political image. Ajayi also expressed doubts about her claims of a negative experience with Nigerian police, suggesting they might have been exaggerated or entirely false.
The remarks have sparked debate, with critics accusing Badenoch of misrepresenting her Nigerian upbringing, while supporters argue that she may have been highlighting broader systemic issues.
