Gladness Gideon
A presidential aide, Olusegun Dada, known by his handle @DOlusegun, has publicly criticised UK Minister Kemi Badenoch over her recent remarks on Nigerian citizenship, accusing her of misrepresenting constitutional facts about her country of origin.
Writing via his verified Twitter account, Dada challenged Badenoch’s assertion—made during a recent interview with CNN’s Fareed Zakaria—that Nigerian women cannot automatically confer citizenship to their children born abroad.
“Aunty @KemiBadenoch, why do you continue to lie against your motherland? Why this continuous dangerous and desperate attempt to malign Nigeria?” Dada posted.
He cited Chapter 3, Section 25 (1)(c) of the 1999 Nigerian Constitution, which clearly states that a person is a Nigerian citizen by birth if either parent is a Nigerian citizen, regardless of where the child is born.
“Your children, whether born in Nigeria or abroad, are Nigerian citizens by descent, automatically under Section 25 of the Nigerian Constitution,” Dada wrote. “This holds regardless of the father’s nationality. You do not need to apply for registration or naturalisation for your child(ren) to be citizens.”
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His comments come in response to Badenoch’s televised comments, which have been widely interpreted as suggesting that Nigerian law discriminates against women in passing down citizenship to their children—a claim now firmly disputed by legal experts and Nigerian officials.
Dada’s rebuttal has garnered significant attention online, with many Nigerians rallying in agreement and accusing the UK minister of perpetuating false narratives about her native country.
The incident has reignited discourse on the importance of accurate public commentary by diaspora politicians and the need for Nigerian officials abroad to remain faithful to the facts when discussing the nation’s legal and civic structures.