By Ussiju Medaner
Sometimes ago, when the tirades of Kemi Badenoch began, I wrote an article titled, “REBUILDING NIGERIA’S IMAGE: BEYOND KEMI BADENOCH’S CRITICISM” describing it as one negative public relation too many and the worrisome scenario of Nigerians hating the country too much that they are careless what their utterances dealt to the country that once sustain them. Hoping she would desist, but it is certain now that it is a pastime she has chosen to amaze some form of relevance in the country she chose. The best response to her many outbursts should have been silent, considering that she is absolutely an irrelevant piece in the Nigeria permutation and development project; but one more time, we need to undress her and show the world the fear of the nonentity who thought she could ride on the back of disparaging Nigeria for some political reckoning in the United Kingdom.
Her emergence and presence as the leader of the UK’s Conservative Party has been marked by many in the country and outside as the beginning of the potential death of the party; even the unlearned and pessimistic observers of the UK’s politics submitted that Kemi Badenoch as the leader of the Torries as the party is popularly called is the worst decision the party has ever taken. Coming from a situation where the UK’s oldest and most successful party lost at one swoop 251 parliament seats, lost 12 cabinet ministers’ seats it was previously holding among several other unbelievable losses. In what was marked as the worst election result for the party in its 190-year history; the emergence of a person whose ideology is anti unity and swell of racism; a person that declare that “not all cultures are equally valid” as the center piece of her immigration view, and a person who declare maternity pay as excessive cannot but be a square peg in a round hole, both for the party and the country.
Kemi Badenoch failed and is still failing to give her party a solid ground and footing, so much that the UK Prime Minister is not losing any sleep worrying about any damages from her. She ran an opposition party that is a toothless dog, incapable of influencing national policies and directions. As someone said, one of her many failings comes from been absolutely poor at PMQs. As the leader of the opposition, nothing till now seems to work for her. At the latest national poll, the party under her watch had a disappointing 22 point, a distant third from the ruling Labour Party. Under her watch, her party major donors are losing trust and interest in the party and literarily shifting their commitment to Reform UK party.
We are talking about a failed and non-directional politician, who has been relegated even among her own conservative home league; where she is placed behind most of her shadow cabinet in recognition. For many who are hurt by her continuous and unbridled fixation on Nigeria, there is no need for that; her behavior is a calculated strategy to create some comfort landing for her obvious failures. These days the only thing that create some relevance for her, in the face of the complete failure to provide the leadership her party need, and keep her in the media is her ill construed narratives about Nigeria. For a politician of her position, the pettiness that made her recount events of her secondary school boarding experience in the manner she did, define who she really is. No serious minded, focus and relevant politician would descent that low. For a nation that pride itself in her culture and take children upbringing and education seriously in line with her belief in allowable discipline and social service, for someone of Badenoch status to see that as wrong speak to her racist tendency and demonic assertion that some nations are barbaric; a stance she never hid.
While from now on the best response to her should be silence, we cannot but discuss and resolve the fundamental influences that propel her acts. Badenoch did not pick on Nigeria just because she hate the country; she pick on the country because other Nigerians have made the country a subject for ridicule and gaining cheap political reckoning. We might be upset by her version of outburst, but we have so many other full blooded Nigerians who derive satisfaction and patronages from de-marketing the country on every accessible platform within and outside the country. If someone of the status of Peter Obi, would travel the world for opportunity to portray Nigeria as a failed nation, while presenting himself as a saint and the only good thing about the country, why can’t Kemi Badenoch do it? Not too long ago Davido did exactly the same while way oversea; in fact it has become the stock in trade of the opposition figures to appeal for recognition and support by defaming the country.
Nigeria image continues to get battered by her people. Even on the social media, the defamation against the country on daily basis surpasses what Kemi Badenoch is doing. We rubbish this country with all derogatory statement and enjoy doing it. Our form of politics literarily permits us to stake the integrity of the nation as a tool for political rising. I have not for once seen an America; politician or not speak ill of their country at any time, not even the uncouth Donald Trump. They play politics; they attack themselves along party line and other differences, but speaking ill of America is a never for them. It is always God bless America.
It appears as if nothing good is happening and coming out of Nigeria. Why? Because the nature of opposition in the country is to see no good about the country and the language is to speak ill of the government in power. El-Rufai is just telling the world that the country is almost collapsing and would cease to exist if the ruling party returns to power again in 2027. How did he expect potential investors to interpret his unguarded speech and lie? Will he be able to explain that the narrative is meant for Nigerians he wishes to draw to his side of the electoral contest?
No one would tell the world the country is going through the best of time in terms of taking the best developmental decision. They would not spread the news that the country now has a president who is reshaping the foundational beams of the country; a president who is taking the hard decisions to guarantee the future of the country.
We have a president who promised what he would do and is keeping to his promises to the letter. He promised he would end the fuel subsidy regime, modulate the FX regime, and promise robust tax reforms to boost government revenue. He promised ambitious projects across infrastructure and others through saved revenues and policies that guarantee sustainable developments.
The naysayers will not tell the world that the country under the current administration has paid up the entirety of the country indebtedness to the IMF. They will not propagate the news that for the first time in decades the country has a trade surplus; a trade surplus of 14.1 billion dollar. They will not celebrate the fact the Fitch rating upgraded Nigeria economy to stable B, at a time when nations like the USA have a downward review. They will be quiet about the fact that the country has experienced substantial rebasing of its economy; with the national GDP growing by ₦6.7 billion in two years. Those enemies of the nation’s progress will not join to celebrate the ripples the student loan programme is causing across campuses in the country.
Instead of seen the geometrical increase in profits of businesses across the country; banks tripling their year on profits after tax and the private sector purchasing manager index (PMI) rising to 54.0 as at July 2025, they chose to see and fixate for their personal gains the struggles and hardships that have to accompany the changes that the country must attained.
Kemi Badenoch is never alone in the business of ridiculing our commonwealth; those who have chosen the path of demeaning the country as tool for winning elections are worse enemies of Nigeria progress.
GOD BLESS NIGERIA.
Professor Medaner is reachable via: justme4justice@yahoo.com; info@medaner.com
