Prominent human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), has criticised UK Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch over her recent comments on Nigerian citizenship, describing her remarks as a reflection of “utter ignorance” of Nigeria’s constitutional laws.
Falana’s response came after Badenoch, in a recent interview, claimed: “I can’t give it [Nigerian citizenship] to my children because I’m a woman,” and described acquiring Nigerian citizenship as “virtually impossible.”
In a statement on Monday, Falana firmly rejected the claim, citing the Nigerian Constitution. He explained that Badenoch’s children are Nigerian by birth through their mother, regardless of where they were born or her gender.
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“Contrary to Kemi Badenoch’s misleading claim, her children are Nigerians because she is a Nigerian,” he stated. “Her assertion that she cannot pass on citizenship due to her gender contradicts Section 25(b) and (c) of the Constitution.”
Falana also referenced Section 42(2), which guarantees all Nigerian citizens equal rights without discrimination based on gender or circumstances of birth.
He added that Badenoch’s two children are dual citizens of Nigeria and the UK, and it is their choice—upon reaching adulthood—whether to renounce Nigerian citizenship, in line with Section 29 of the Constitution.
Challenging Badenoch’s statement on the difficulty of acquiring Nigerian citizenship, Falana pointed to Sections 26 and 27, which outline clear processes for citizenship through registration or naturalisation, provided legal conditions are met.
However, Falana acknowledged existing legal imbalances. “While a foreign woman married to a Nigerian man qualifies for citizenship by registration, the same right isn’t extended to a man married to a Nigerian woman, due to patriarchal influences in the law,” he noted.
He accused Badenoch of distorting facts to appeal to British voters, warning that such misrepresentations unfairly tarnish Nigeria’s image.
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