The Foundation for Peace Professionals (PeacePro), a prominent peacebuilding organization based in Nigeria, has formally petitioned the United Kingdom Parliament and the Conservative Party over what it describes as false, misleading, and diplomatically damaging remarks made by Rt. Hon. Kemi Badenoch, a British Member of Parliament and Cabinet Minister.
In the petition authorized by its Executive Director, Abdulrazaq Hamzat, PeacePro expressed grave concern over Badenoch’s recent statement during an interview on CNN’s Fareed Zakaria GPS amongst others, where she claimed that the Nigerian Constitution does not permit women to pass on their citizenship to their children.
PeacePro denounced this statement as entirely false, citing constitutional provisions that guarantee both Nigerian men and women equal rights to confer citizenship on their children.
“There is no legal basis for such a claim. The Nigerian Constitution does not discriminate between men and women on matters of nationality,” said Abdulrazaq Hamzat, Executive Director of PeacePro.
PeacePro noted that this is not the first time the British Minister, who is of Nigerian descent has made negative or inaccurate statements about Nigeria.
According to Hamzat, Badenoch’s public rhetoric reflects a recurring pattern of commentary that undermines the image of Nigeria on the global stage.
PeacePro emphasized that her statements are especially troubling given her role as a senior government official and a public figure with heritage ties to Nigeria.
“It is unacceptable for someone in her position to continue making factually incorrect statements about a sovereign country, especially one with such longstanding and strategic ties to the UK,” the petition read.
In the firm and diplomatically worded petition, PeacePro called on the UK Parliament and the Conservative Party to:
- Initiate an internal review of Kemi Badenoch’s public statements regarding Nigeria.
- Request a formal apology and clarification from the Minister over the inaccurate claim.
- Establish formal guidelines for UK ministers and public officials to ensure fact based, respectful communication when referencing foreign countries.
PeacePro cautioned that failure to address such conduct could set a dangerous precedent, normalize misinformation, and undermine diplomatic decorum.
PeacePro also warned that such misinformation, especially when coming from a UK Cabinet Minister, could damage UK-Nigeria relations, particularly in a time when both nations are striving to strengthen bilateral partnerships in trade, security, migration, and education.
“Nigeria and the United Kingdom share deep historical, economic, and cultural ties. Those ties must be treated with respect and care, not weakened by misinformation or dismissive rhetoric,” said Hamzat.
Concluding its petition, PeacePro emphasized that peacebuilding and diplomacy require truth, respect, and accountability from public officials.
“Peace is rooted in truth. Diplomacy thrives on mutual respect. Falsehoods do not serve peace. Disrespect does not serve diplomacy,” the petition concluded.
