Nigerian activist and social critic Aisha Yesufu has criticized Kemi Badenoch, leader of the UK Conservative Party, for allegedly making negative remarks about Nigeria and its institutions.
In a post shared on her X (formerly Twitter) account, Yesufu rebuked Badenoch for reportedly linking her distrust of the British police to her experiences growing up in Nigeria, which she described as plagued by corruption, fear, and insecurity. Badenoch, who identifies as Yoruba, allegedly stated that she has “nothing in common with the northern part of Nigeria” and has defended her comments despite criticism.
Yesufu argued that such comparisons were misplaced and accused the UK of enabling Nigerian corruption by offering safe havens for stolen wealth. She urged Badenoch to avoid perpetuating a “poverty mentality” by lowering standards in the UK.
She wrote:
“Kemi Badenoch should grow up and move on! Context is everything! She was asked if she trusts the British police. How is what happened with the Nigerian police a reason for her to determine if she trusts the British police or not?
“If the UK doesn’t provide an enabling environment for people to loot Nigeria’s wealth and take it there, ‘poor’ and ‘Nigeria’ wouldn’t be in the same sentence.
“So, because the bar is low in Nigeria, it doesn’t mean she should lower the bar for their police! She should not use her Nigerian poverty mentality to lower the bar there!
“@PoliceNG, you see your life? Always disgracing us up and down!”
Yesufu’s comments sparked debate online, with some supporting her stance and others defending Badenoch’s perspective as a reflection of personal experiences. The remarks have reignited discussions about Nigeria’s systemic issues and the role of foreign nations in perpetuating corruption.