Dabiri-Erewa Flays Kemi Badenoch on Nigerian Citizenship Claims
By: Olufemi Orunsola
The Chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, NIDCOM, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, has taken a swipe at United Kingdom Conservative Party leader, Kemi Badenoch, over the water's recent claim that Nigerian law prevents her from passing citizenship to her children because she is a woman.
OPEN TELEVISION NAIJA OTN News reports that Dabiri-Erewa stated this on Friday while featuring as a guest on ‘Hard Copy’, a programme on Channels Television.
The NiDCOM Chairperson described Badenoch’s remarks as “misleading” and “entirely untrue.”
According to the NIDCOM boss, Badenoch’s claim was against Section 25(1)(c) of the 1999 Constitution, which says a person born outside Nigeria qualifies for citizenship if either parent is a Nigerian citizen.
“But that is not true. Don’t divulge false information. You go on international media and spin a lie — that is a lie — that is not even true. And I’m sure people have responded,” she said.
She further argued that denigrating one’s country publicly must be challenged, and while Nigeria supports its diaspora, no one can be forced to love their homeland.
“It’s not true, so why tell us something that is not true? Do you know the number of Nigerians we have in the UK in the political space who are doing very well? We don’t have to focus on one person, but when you denigrate your country, we reply to you.
“It’s not about me, or the President, or you — it’s about Nigeria. You can’t lie about your country, and then we keep quiet. There are many who are doing very well politically. So ours is to continue to work with every Nigerian in the diaspora, but you can’t force anybody,” Dabiri-Erewa said.
OTN News recalls that Badenoch had recently made the controversial claim during an interview, saying, “It’s virtually impossible, for example, to get Nigerian citizenship. I have that citizenship by virtue of my parents. I can’t give it to my children because I’m a woman.
“Yet loads of Nigerians come to the UK and stay for a relatively free period of time, acquire British citizenship. We need to stop being naive.”
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