Kemi Badenoch’s criticisms of Nigeria won’t affect investor confidence – Tinubu’s aide, Bwala says
Daniel Bwala, special adviser on policy communication to President Bola Tinubu, has dismissed recent criticisms of Nigeria by UK Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch, calling them politically motivated efforts to gain favor within her party.
Badenoch’s remarks, comparing the UK to Nigeria and citing “terrible governments like Nigeria” as a cautionary example during a governance speech, sparked controversy. While promoting her party, she implied that poor governance outcomes in Nigeria should not be replicated in Britain.
Speaking on Channels Television, Bwala downplayed the impact of her comments on Nigeria’s international relations and investment prospects, noting that she is not part of the UK’s ruling government. He argued that investors would likely recognize her remarks as political rhetoric.
Bwala acknowledged Badenoch’s achievements but criticized her for exploiting populism by appealing to public discontent and using negative rhetoric about Nigeria to bolster her support base. He contrasted her approach with that of UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who, despite his Indian heritage, refrains from using India’s societal issues for political advantage.
“So she’s building a rhetoric of denigrating Nigeria, demarketing Nigeria, so she can probably win the acceptance or acceptation of the rights in her party.”
“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 accused Badenoch of “denigrating and demarketing Nigeria” to align with the right-wing faction of her party, highlighting concerns about the potential implications of her rhetoric on Nigeria’s image.
