Samuel Omang
Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), has faulted UK Conservative Party leader, Kemi Badenoch, describing her recent comments on Nigerian citizenship as a demonstration of “utter ignorance” of the nation’s legal framework.
Falana’s remarks came in response to Badenoch’s claim during a media interview that she could not confer Nigerian citizenship on her children because she is a woman. She also described obtaining Nigerian citizenship as “virtually impossible,” sparking outrage among Nigerians both at home and abroad.
In a statement on Monday, Falana referenced the Nigerian Constitution, stressing that Badenoch’s children are Nigerians by birth. “Contrary to Kemi Badenoch’s misleading claim, her children are Nigerians because she is a Nigerian,” he said. “Her assertion that she cannot give Nigerian citizenship to her children because she is a woman is not in consonance with Section 25(b) and (c) of the Nigerian Constitution.”
The senior advocate further cited Section 42(2), which prohibits discrimination on grounds of birth, gender, or class. “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.
He clarified that Badenoch’s children are dual citizens of Nigeria and the United Kingdom, stating, “It is up to the children to renounce their Nigerian citizenship upon the attainment of full age in accordance with Section 29 of the Nigerian Constitution.”
Falana also challenged Badenoch’s assertion that acquiring Nigerian citizenship is near impossible, pointing to Sections 26 and 27, which outline clear procedures for foreigners to gain citizenship through registration or naturalisation.
However, he admitted that the law remains patriarchal in certain areas, particularly in the case of foreign men marrying Nigerian women. “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 because of the patriarchal nature of the society,” he noted.
Falana accused Badenoch of attempting to play to the gallery of British politics at the expense of Nigeria’s image. “She is trying to curry favour with the British electorate by spreading misinformation that unfairly maligns her country of origin,” he warned.