By Emmanuel Nduka
Kemi Badenoch, a Nigerian born former British Minister, has taken her country of birth to the cleaners, positing that “Nigerian politicians pollute the air” in the country and “the entire political atmosphere with their failure to serve.”
42-year-old Badenoch who is among the final eight in the race to replace Boris Johnson as Conservative leader and Britain’s Prime Minister, were up before the Tory MPs on Wednesday to get their first votes.
Speaking at a public function in a viral video seen by Heritage Times HT, Badenoch who left Nigeria 26 years ago, condemned Nigerian politicians for entering the governing space to enrich themselves.
“I grew up in Nigeria and I saw first hand what happens when politicians are in it for themselves. Where they use public money as their private piggy banks.
“I chose to become a Conservative MP to serve and I chose this country because here, I can breathe free and I can be everything that I want to be,” she said.
“I saw what socialism means (in Nigeria) for millions, its poverty and broken dreams. I came to Britain to make my way in a country where hardwork and honest endeavour can take you to anywhere,” she added.
As the race to replace Johnson thickens, several possible successors are seen as frontrunners, but there is no clear favourite yet, as such contests are notoriously volatile.
Badenoch who left Nigeria 26 years ago, is already in line to become UK’s PM, although she has one of the lowest profiles of the current contenders but is polling well among the party’s members.
