Daniel Bwala, President Muhammadu Buhari’s Special Adviser on Policy Communication, has dismissed UK Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch’s recent criticism of Nigeria, suggesting that her remarks were politically motivated and aimed at gaining favor within her party.
Badenoch, in a speech last week, warned of the dangers of following a path similar to Nigeria’s, claiming that failure to reform the UK system could lead to dire consequences akin to those seen in Nigeria. She emphasized the importance of trust in government and advocated for the Conservative Party as the solution to Britain’s challenges, while criticizing the state of affairs in Nigeria.
Appearing on Sunrise Daily on Channels Television, Bwala refuted the notion that Badenoch’s comments would harm Nigeria’s international standing or its efforts to attract foreign investment. “I don’t think it would have an effect because she’s not the government in power. Usually, these international relationships or collaborations are dealings between governments,” Bwala said.
Bwala also pointed out that investors would likely see through Badenoch’s comments, considering her Nigerian heritage. “Because she’s not the government in power, it will not have any effect. Secondly, because she’s a Nigerian, investors will be smart enough to assess what she’s saying, whether it is born out of rhetoric,” he stated.
While acknowledging Badenoch’s personal achievements in the UK, Bwala criticized her rhetoric, claiming it was part of a populist strategy aimed at leveraging public discontent to gain political support. He argued that Badenoch was “feeding off people’s anger” by using Nigeria as a political tool to garner support from the right-wing factions within her party.
“The only problem we have with Kemi, I think, is the rhetoric because Kemi belongs to the right base in the United Kingdom, which is what you see in this populism around the world—populism that thrives on public anger,” Bwala said.
He further drew a comparison to UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who, despite his Indian heritage, has not used his cultural background or negative incidents such as the gang rape issue in India to further his political agenda. “Rishi Sunak has never used that as a weapon to promote what he believed to be a departure from what is likely to be believed as hereditary or history of the Indian people, but she has always denigrated Nigeria,” Bwala remarked.
In conclusion, Bwala reiterated that Badenoch’s remarks were part of a wider political tactic aimed at securing her place within the UK Conservative Party, adding that it would have little to no impact on Nigeria’s relationships on the global stage.