Renowned human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, has sharply criticised UK Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch over her recent remarks on Nigerian citizenship, describing them as “a display of utter ignorance” of Nigeria’s constitutional law.
Badenoch, a UK cabinet minister of Nigerian descent, sparked controversy after claiming during a media interview that she cannot pass Nigerian citizenship to her children because she is a woman and that acquiring Nigerian citizenship is “virtually impossible.”
Responding in a statement on Monday, Falana cited multiple sections of the Nigerian Constitution to debunk her assertions. “Contrary to Kemi Badenoch’s misleading claim, her children are Nigerians because she is a Nigerian,” he said.
Falana referenced Section 25(b) and (c) of the Constitution, which confers citizenship by birth on children born outside Nigeria if either parent is a Nigerian. He also cited Section 42(2), which prohibits discrimination based on gender or circumstances of birth.
“No citizen of Nigeria shall be subjected to any disability or deprivation merely by reason of the circumstances of his birth, gender, political opinion or class,” Falana explained, affirming that Badenoch’s children are entitled to dual citizenship and may only renounce their Nigerian nationality upon reaching adulthood as stipulated under Section 29.
Addressing Badenoch’s second claim regarding the difficulty of acquiring Nigerian citizenship, Falana countered that Sections 26 and 27 of the Constitution provide clear pathways for foreigners to obtain citizenship by registration or naturalisation, provided they meet the set criteria.
However, Falana did acknowledge existing gender imbalances within the law. “A woman who is married to a Nigerian man is qualified for registration as a citizen, but the same right is not accorded to a man who is married to a Nigerian woman. That reflects the patriarchal nature of our society, and it must be addressed.”
He concluded by accusing Badenoch of using “misinformation to curry political favour with the British electorate,” warning that her inaccurate claims risk unjustly maligning Nigeria.
The controversy has sparked wider debate about dual citizenship, gender equality in legal frameworks, and the responsibilities of public figures with multicultural backgrounds.
