Shehu Sani Urges UK Minister Kemi Badenoch to Return Her Nigerian Name

Former Nigerian lawmaker Shehu Sani has called on UK Conservative Party leader and Business Secretary, Kemi Badenoch, to return her name “Kemi” to Nigeria following her recent remarks disassociating herself from the country.

Sani, who represented Kaduna Central in the Eighth National Assembly, made the appeal after Badenoch reportedly stated that she no longer identifies as Nigerian. Over time, Badenoch has drawn criticism for her repeated attacks on Nigeria’s government, institutions, and people—including claims of police corruption and governmental inefficiency.

One of her controversial claims includes an assertion that she was unable to secure Nigerian citizenship for her children, despite being Nigerian by birth. However, constitutional experts have pointed out that her claim is inaccurate, as the Nigerian Constitution grants automatic citizenship to any child born to a Nigerian parent.

Reacting to her latest statement distancing herself from Nigeria, Sani urged Badenoch to return everything tied to her Nigerian heritage—including her name.

“Your name is still ‘Kemi’ and you don’t want to identify as Nigerian, that’s ok,” Sani wrote. “Just bring back our name. You can change to ‘Kimberly’ or Kim Kardashian.”