Julius OkorieNigeria-British Parliamentarian Kemi Badenoch has been elected leader of the Conservative Party of the United Kingdom.
Badenoch, representing North West Essex in the British parliament, contested for the Conservative Party’s leadership on Thursday, and won the keenly contested election.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelIn a post-election statement, the 44 year old thanked supporters of her “Renewal2030” campaign promise of returning the party to 10 Downing Street, after a historic loss to Keir Starmer’s Labour Party.
“Polls have closed for the Conservative Party leadership contest. I want to thank all our party members who have taken the time to listen to pitches from all of the candidates, turned up to our hustings and hosted us in your associations and in your homes.
The Conservative Party is much more to me than a membership organization. It is a family. Thank you to all who voted, especially those who supported me,” she wrote. on her X handle.
Reacting to her victory, former British prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, described Badenoch, who served in his government, as a superb leader.
Sunak noted that the new Conservative Party leader would “renew our party” and “take the fight to Labour.”
“Congratulations to Kemi Badenoch on being elected Conservative party leader.
“I know that she will be a superb leader of our great party. She will renew our party, stand up for Conservative values, and take the fight to Labour.“Let’s unite behind her,” Rishi Sunak wrote on his X handle, on Saturday.
One person who is however not tickled by Badenoch and her electoral victory is Nigeria’s former Minister of Tourism and Aviation respectively Femi Fani-Kayode.
READ ALSO:UK Election: Kemi Badenoch, 3 Other British-Nigerians Win Parliament Seats
FFk as some of his fans choose to call him is angry with Badenoch over her negative comment about Nigeria just before Thursday’s election. Badenoch while making comparison between Uk and Nigeria, had said “This is my country, I don’t want it to become like the place I ran away from. I want it to get better and better, not just for me, but for the next generation”
That submission did not however go down well with Fani-Kayode who fired back in a swift reaction asking her whether she has ever considered staying back to help fix the place she ran away from. He said via X @realFFK
“A very stupid little girl and notoriously self-righteous bitch barks. Ever considered staying in the place you “ran away from” and trying to fix it? You are worse than Aunty Jemima, the female version of Uncle Tom. By all means try your luck at being elected leader of the British Conservative party but leave my country out of your pretty yet stinking mouth”
The new conservative party leader full name Olukemi Olufunto Adegoke Badenoch previously served in the Cabinet under prime ministers Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak from 2022 to 2024. She has served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for North West Essex, previously Saffron Walden, since 2017.Her father, Femi Adegoke, was a GP (General Practitioner/medical doctor) and her mother, Feyi Adegoke, was a professor of physiology.
She spent her childhood living in Lagos, Nigeria, and in the United States, where her mother lectured. She returned to the UK at the age of 16.
Julius Okorie is Chief Sports and Entertainment Correspondent for Prime Business Africa. He began his journalism career with the Champion Newspaper and Sporting Champion and later moved on to Daily Independent and the Nation Newspapers. Okorie joined Prime Business Africa in 2024 bringing on board 20 years of experience in writing investigative news on Sports and Entertainment. His well researched and highly informative articles on Sports Business and general entertainment are followed by a wide range of audience.
