Politics

‘I Am Under Attack’ – Kemi Badenoch Laments Racist Abuse, Hostility

Published

12 months ago

August 24, 2025

Leader of the United Kingdom (UK) Conservative Party, Kemi Badenoch, has spoken openly about the racism and hostility she has endured since becoming the first black woman to lead the party.

It was reports that in an interview with the Sunday Times, Badenoch admitted she was taken aback by the level of abuse directed at her following her election.

While stressing that only a few Conservative MPs were involved, Badenoch noted that much of the abuse came from online spaces.

“There’s a certain cadre of people who clearly can’t cope with the fact that I won this and I’m doing it. The level of personal attacks from anonymous people, it’s hysterical,” she said.

“Not even just from MPs. I actually don’t think it’s that many MPs. I think it’s two to three people out of 120. That’s nothing. But online as well. People used to talk about Trump derangement syndrome. I think there’s a Kemi derangement syndrome: ‘How could she possibly have done this?’” she said.

She added that social media attacks often included racist tropes:

“There’s a lot of ethno-nationalism creeping up, lots of stuff about my race and my ethnicity and the tropes around, ‘well, she couldn’t possibly have done this all by herself, ’” Badenoch said, speaking about her critics.

It was reports that Badenoch, who was born in Wimbledon but grew up in Nigeria before returning to the UK at 16, rarely speaks extensively about her race. She has often criticised anti-racism campaigners and critical race theory.

She recalled being pilloried in the past for her view that Britain was not a racist country.

“I always try to think of every possible explanation before I go to race and racism. I think that is a healthy way to run a society. I remember when I stood up a few years ago and said Britain is not a racist country, ethnic minorities do very well here, it is white working-class boys who are actually struggling on a lot of metrics, and I got pilloried for that,” she said.

Badenoch is preparing for her first party conference speech amid poor polling numbers, with the Conservatives currently at 17%, and growing speculation that her shadow justice secretary, Robert Jenrick, could challenge her leadership.

Reacting to reports Jenrick may soon replace her, Badenoch dismissed the claims as “wishful thinking.”

“There will always be people who are sore losers, our candidate didn’t win, and so on, and sour grapes. When I hear those things, I can tell those people are not focused on the country at all. Many of those people having those conversations think this is a game. But the lives of people in this country aren’t a game,” she said.

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Politics

VIDEO: #OSUNDECIDES2026! Angry Youths Storm INEC Office, Chant “Fadahunsi Ole”

Published

1 day ago

August 16, 2026

Oluwagbenga Olaoye

Some Osun youths gathered at the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, in Osogbo, Saturday night, to monitor the collation of results from the governorship election.

In a video from the scene, the youths could be heard chanting “Fadahunsi ole, your plans will not work”.

The senator representing Osun East, Francis Fadahunsi, had earlier been captured in another video during the election, where he was seen confronting and allegedly threatening voters at his polling unit in the presence of a police officer.

The chant came as the collation of results from the election continued at the INEC headquarters.

Watch video below..

“Ole ! Ole ! Tiff, Tiff, your scope will not work, we know what you’re trying to do, you have to upload the result now”

Osun state residents don mount for INEC office 😭😂✨ pic.twitter.com/ux1mkhgfoP

— Oyindamola🙄 (@dammiedammie35) August 15, 2026

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Politics

Osun Election: EU Observer Hub Uncovers 323 Electoral Offences, 38 Security Incidents

Published

1 day ago

August 16, 2026

Oluwagbenga Olaoye

The European Union (EU) Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria Election Observation Hub (EU-SDGN EOH) has claimed that there were over 38 reported security incidents and 323 electoral offences and irregularities in the Osun 2026 election.

Naija News reports that the Union, which comprises the Centre for Media and Society (CEMESO), the International Press Centre (IPC), the Nigerian Women Trust Fund (NWTF), TAF Africa, The Kukah Centre (TKC) and Yiaga Africa, made the claim in a statement on Saturday.

The hub asserted that the 726 polling units monitored were disrupted by violent acts and irregularities.

They disclosed that they had deployed 823 accredited observers across polling units in all 30 local government areas to monitor the election.

The statement read, “Of 2,339,233 registered voters, 1,906,390, representing 81.50 per cent, had collected their Permanent Voters Cards and were eligible to vote.”

Speaking on the security incidents, the Union stated that there were 25 cases of thuggery, 12 attacks on electoral officials and 9 cases of voter intimidation by security personnel.

The hub said, “It separately recorded 323 cases of electoral offences across the polling units observed, including 103 cases of vote trading, 85 cases of exposure of ballot papers, 31 cases of obstruction of voters, 38 cases of campaigning at polling units, 28 cases of inducement of polling and security officials, 14 cases of voter impersonation, 12 cases of multiple voting and 7 cases of misconduct by election officials.”

The Hub also identified specific cases of voter intimidation by security agents at PU 29-10-10-005, Igbon District Council School, Ejigbo, and PU 29-30-06-015, opposite No. 22 Oke Ola Street, Okanla Area, Osogbo.

“During the accreditation process, 608 of 726 observed polling units, or 83.7 per cent, had polling officials with a full complement of both sensitive and non-sensitive materials between 7:30am and 8:00 am. A further 75 polling units opened between 8:00am and 8:30am, and 42 between 8:30 am and 11:00am, while one polling unit remained unopened as of 11:00am due to the non-arrival of personnel and materials,” the statement read.

Source: naijanews.com

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Politics

Osun Poll: Full List Of LGAs Won By Adeleke

Published

1 day ago

August 16, 2026

Oluwagbenga Olaoye

The Governor of Osun State and candidate of the Accord Party (A), Ademola Adeleke, has been officially declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as the winner of the 2026 governorship election.

Naija News had earlier reported that Adeleke, who contested against the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Oyebamiji and several other candidates, had a total of 511,067 votes while Oyebamiji gathered 444,815 votes, a difference of 66,256 votes.

Adeleke won 19 local government areas, while his closest rival, Oyebamiji, won 11.

Here are the local government areas won by Adeleke:

Ede North: Adeleke — 35,427; APC — 10,283

Osogbo: Adeleke — 36,480; APC — 30,474

Ede South: Adeleke — 26,188; APC — 6,219

Iwo: Adeleke — 27,085; APC — 19,660

Ife East: Adeleke — 27,201; APC — 18,600

Ife Central: Adeleke — 21,171; APC — 15,913

Ifelodun: Adeleke — 21,107; APC — 18,396

Oriade: Adeleke — 21,343; APC — 14,863

Egbedore: Adeleke — 19,278; APC — 11,194

Odo Otin: Adeleke — 18,003; APC — 15,435

Ilesa West: Adeleke — 16,196; APC — 12,756

Ila: Adeleke — 16,211; APC — 12,934

Ayedaade: Adeleke — 16,681; APC — 15,719

Ife North: Adeleke — 13,879; APC — 9,613

Orolu: Adeleke — 12,352; APC — 10,622

Boluwaduro: Adeleke — 7,118; APC — 7,050

Ayedire: Adeleke — 11,073; APC — 9,910

Ejigbo Local Government Area and Ifedayo

Meanwhile, the European Union (EU) Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria Election Observation Hub (EU-SDGN EOH) has claimed that there were over 38 reported security incidents and 323 electoral offences and irregularities in the Osun 2026 election.

The hub asserted that violent acts and irregularities disrupted the 726 polling units monitored.

Source: naijanews.com

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