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Why Do You Continue To Lie Against Your Motherland? Presidency Calls Out Kemi Badenoch
The Nigerian presidency has countered claims by the Leader of the United Kingdom’s Conservative Party, Kemi Badenoch, who claimed that she cannot confer Nigerian citizenship on her children because of her gender.
Speaking during an interview with CNN’s Fareed Zakaria on Sunday, while comparing Nigerian immigration laws to those of the UK, Badenoch criticized what she described as British leniency. She argued that many immigrants take advantage of the UK’s immigration system in ways that would not be tolerated in their home countries.
It was reports that to illustrate her point, the Conservative leader referenced her children’s inability to obtain Nigerian citizenship because she’s not married to a Nigerian.
However, responding to her claims, the Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu on Social Media, Dada Olusegun, accused Badenoch of constantly lying against Nigeria.
Olusegun, in a post via his 𝕏 account on Monday, questioned the British Conservative Leader over her constant attempts to malign Nigeria.
He also clarified that contrary to claims by Badenoch, if a Nigerian woman is a citizen by birth, the constitution guarantees her children automatic citizenship regardless of their father’s nationality, adding that such children do not need to apply for registration or naturalisation.
“Aunty @KemiBadenoch, why do you continue to lie against your motherland? Why this continuous dangerous and desperate attempt to malign Nigeria? Chapter 3, Section 25 (1)(c) of the 1999 Nigerian Constitution states that If the Nigerian woman is a citizen by birth:
“Your children, whether born in Nigeria or abroad, are Nigerian citizens by descent, automatically under Section 25 of the Nigerian Constitution.
“This holds regardless of the father’s nationality.
“You do not need to apply for registration or naturalisation for your child(ren) to be citizens,” the presidential media aide wrote on 𝕏.
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Speaking in an exclusive interview in Calabar, on Wednesday, Obono-Obla described the generalization as defamatory and unacceptable.
Former presidential aide and legal expert, Okoi Obono-Obla, has condemned the recent protests in Ghana during which some demonstrators branded Nigerians as criminals.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with Daily Post in Calabar, on Wednesday, Obono-Obla described the generalization as defamatory and unacceptable.
“You cannot brand someone a criminal without a verdict from a court of competent jurisdiction,” he stated.
“To suggest that all Nigerians are criminals and should therefore be expelled from Ghana amounts to defamation”.
Obono-Obla expressed fears that if the Ghanaian government were to yield to what he described as a mischievous agitation, bordering on xenophobia, it would not only damage the diplomatic relations between Nigeria and Ghana but also breach the ECOWAS Protocol that governs the free movement of its citizens.
The social activist expressed displeasure, saying the generalization that Nigerians were all criminals was both unfair and unfounded.
He argued that in criminal law, there is no principle of vicarious liability, saying “this is a universal standard.”
He explained that the two countries, Nigeria and Ghana, are both member states of the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, whose Treaty and Protocol make provisions for the free movement of people and goods across member states.
“This is why there are many Nigerians in Ghana, and many Ghanaians in Nigeria and other ECOWAS member states because when one wishes to travel to these countries, no visa is required.
“Now, if some Ghanaians are calling for Nigerians to leave Ghana due to allegations of criminal activity, how can it be justified to claim that all Nigerians in Ghana are engaging in such activities?”
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He stressed that safeguarding Lagos’s historical records is essential to protect societal values and prevent the distortion of the state’s heritage.
Former Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola has frowned at the current trend of renaming streets in Lagos.
According to him, such arbitirary renaming is taking place without proper regard for the legacy of those being commemorated.
Fashola stated this statement during the public unveiling of “Discover Lagos State: A History Puzzle Book (Volume 1)” held at the Civic Centre in Victoria Island on Tuesday.
He stressed that safeguarding Lagos’s historical records is essential to protect societal values and prevent the distortion of the state’s heritage.
Referencing archival materials from the University of Glasgow, Fashola highlighted the importance of documentation in shaping public memory and national identity.
He specifically mentioned Dr. Isaac Ladipo Oluwole, who studied at the university between 1913 and 1918 and later became Nigeria’s first African medical officer of health in the Lagos colony.
Fashola recounted how Dr. Oluwole pioneered school health services and founded Nigeria’s first school of hygiene in Yaba in 1920.
He noted that a street in Ikeja — Ladipo Oluwole Street — was named in his honour to immortalise his contribution.
“But it is perhaps instructive that we are discussing street naming and street unnaming, and I keep my gunpowder dry,” Fashola said, hinting at the current controversy around renaming streets.
He emphasized the importance of recognizing the reasons behind such namings, urging Lagosians to understand the legacies that such names represent.
Fashola also called for increased funding and support for the Lagos State Records and Archives Bureau (LASRAB), the agency that developed the puzzle book.
He praised LASRAB for going beyond educational resources to serve as a vital repository for the state’s historical records.
Representing Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu at the event, Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat applauded the book as an innovative educational tool designed to nurture historical consciousness among young people.
Hamzat also commended Fashola’s legacy in setting up LASRAB, recalling how his administration instituted measures to ensure critical state documents were archived across ministries, including LASRAB.
“This foundational act was not merely administrative. It was an intentional effort to institutionalise, preserve, document, and disseminate Lagos’s narrative for posterity,” he said.
“It is important that we don’t only understand ourselves, but we must understand our history so we don’t lose ourselves.
“This book is a creative method of crafting historical consciousness that informs while it also entertains. That way, we don’t distort our history and we don’t misunderstand our being.”
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The protest, which took place on Wednesday, drew community members who described the renaming as a disregard for their heritage and an attempt to erase their cultural identity.
The many residents of Ilaje Road in Bariga, Lagos, have staged a protest against the Bariga Local Council Development Area’s (LCDA) recent decision to rename the road in honour of music icon King Sunny Ade.
The protest, which took place on Wednesday, drew community members who described the renaming as a disregard for their heritage and an attempt to erase their cultural identity.
The controversial name change was reportedly approved by the immediate past LCDA chairman, David Kolade Alabi, just before the end of his tenure, despite earlier opposition from residents.
Addressing the protesters, the Baale of Ilaje/Bariga, High Chief Kayode Ayetiwa, disclosed that the newly sworn-in LCDA chairperson, Bukola Adedeji, had called him ahead of the protest, appealing for patience and promising to reverse the decision. However, the community proceeded with the protest and also submitted a formal petition to the council.
Ayetiwa stressed that the name Ilaje Road has been in existence since 1948 and represents an important part of the community’s history and identity.
“We will not allow the legacy and name of Ilaje Road to be erased, no matter how prominent the individual chosen for the renaming may be,” the Baale said.
The community’s protest letter described the former chairman’s action as unconstitutional and carried out without the consent of local councillors.
Raphael Irowanu, President General of Egbe Omo Ilaje, voiced concerns about what he called a larger pattern of marginalisation, noting that the Ilaje population in Lagos State numbers around four million people with strong ancestral ties to Yoruba history.
According to him, the road renaming, coupled with ongoing demolitions affecting the community, points to an attempt to displace and undermine the Ilaje people.
He warned that continued disregard for their concerns could have political repercussions for the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the 2027 elections.
While acknowledging that King Sunny Ade, like the Ilaje people, hails from Ondo State, Irowanu maintained that naming the road after the musician would only create division rather than foster unity.
Protesters displayed placards calling for the restoration of the road’s original name and insisting that Ilaje Road remains a symbol of their history and must not be changed.
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