Reno Omokri, an avowed defender of President Bola
Tinubu has strongly criticized British Conservative Party leader, Kemi
Badenoch, over her comments on the Nigerian Police with a threat against her
bid to become prime minister.
Badenoch, during a recent interview, accused the
Nigerian Police of robbing her brother of his shoes and wrist watcha, a
statement that has sparked widespread backlash.In a lengthy post on his X
handle, Omokri described Badenoch’s remarks as an “unintelligent political
move” and accused her of disdaining her African roots to appease the British
establishment. He argued that such rhetoric could alienate a significant
portion of the Black African diaspora in the UK, particularly Nigerians, whose
support Badenoch’s Conservative Party needs.
Omokri noted that there are nearly 300,000 Nigerians
living in the UK, with the number nearing a million when other sub-Saharan
Africans are included. Many of these individuals are eligible voters who could
significantly impact the outcome of elections.
“Politics is about addition, not subtraction,” Omokri
wrote, adding that regular working-class White Britons are more likely to vote
for someone who looks like them. He pointed to former UK Prime Minister Rishi
Sunak as someone who navigated these dynamics carefully.
Omokri suggested that instead of alienating the Black
British vote, Badenoch should focus on espousing Conservative values to retain
the support of White upper-class Britons while avoiding comments that demean
her heritage.
Omokri further criticized Badenoch for what he
described as “self-loathing,” pointing out that her Nigerian accent, though
faint, is still detectable. He questioned why she would want to discard her
roots and warned that such attitudes could backfire.
“If I were a White Briton, my thinking would be: If
she can throw her own kith and kin under the bus, imagine what she can do to
us,” he said.
Omokri took issue with Badenoch’s sweeping statement
about the Nigerian Police, arguing that while there are bad elements in the
force, it is unfair to generalize based on isolated incidents.
“Yes, there are rotten eggs in the Nigerian Police,
just as there are in the various British Police departments. But you cannot
just generalize and tar everybody with the same brush,” he wrote.
He noted that many Nigerians have encountered more
good police officers than bad ones, and Badenoch’s comments could perpetuate
harmful stereotypes about Nigeria and its institutions.
Omokri concluded his post by urging Nigerians to
consider the broader implications of Badenoch’s remarks. He warned that
foreigners who hear such rhetoric may not differentiate between the Nigerian
Police and the Nigerian people, ultimately damaging the nation’s image.
“Your value is linked to the value of Nigeria and its
institutions,” Omokri asserted, calling on Badenoch to reconsider her approach
to addressing issues related to Nigeria.
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