The presidency has slammed the leader of the British Conservative Party, Kemi Badenoch over her claim that she cannot apply for Nigerian citizenship for her children despite being a Nigerian.
The special adviser to the president on information and strategy, Bayo Onanuga described Badenoch’s claim as a lie.
Recall that Badenoch while buttressing her point on how lenient the United Kingdom is with visa issuance and citizenship approvals for Nigerians said the same cannot be said of her birth country.
She claimed that it has been impossible for her to obtain citizenship for her children who were born to a British father because of her gender.
However, debunking Badenoch’s claim, Onanuga called on Britain to send her to Nigeria for proper reorientation.
He wrote on X, “Britain should send our lost daughter Kemi Badenoch home for a proper re-education. Thanks to Shola Shogbamimu for enlightening the Tory politician. Section 25 of our constitution defines who has the right to Nigerian citizenship.
“25. (1) The following persons are citizens of Nigeria by birth, namely-(a) every person born in Nigeria before the date of independence, either of whose parents or any of whose grandparents belongs or belonged to a community indigenous to Nigeria; Provided that a person shall not become a citizen of Nigeria by virtue of this section if neither of his parents nor any of his grandparents was born in Nigeria. (b) every person born in Nigeria after the date of independence either of whose parents or any of whose grandparents is a citizen of Nigeria; and (c) every person born outside Nigeria either of whose parents is a citizen of Nigeria,” Onanuga stated.
Continuing, Onanuga noted that in the same section of the Constitution, the date of independence means the first day of October 1960.
He said, “Kemi Badenoch lied. She owes her fatherland some apology.”