I recall with nostalgia the days of inter-house sports in secondary school back in the day. One almost screamed one’s head off the moment the athlete leading the pack belonged to the “right” house. With boundless excitement and pride, we would scream, screech and whistle until our champions breasted the tape or crossed the finish line.
That House solidarity manifests as nationalism in the larger world outside secondary school. And strangely enough, there’s still a flight of fantasy to faraway places like when one's country or fellow citizen is performing extraordinary feats thousands of miles away.
That fellow-feeling must have swarmed some of my countrymen again when, like Bukayo Saka or Anthony Joshua, another full-blooded Nigerian began waltzing gracefully, competently and meritoriously across the English Channel. But this time, away from the sporting arena and heading for Downing Street…!
Her name is Kemi. Her second name, Badenoch! She’s gap-toothed – that captivating biological feature Creation seems to have reserved only for selected black Africans, especially Nigerians. You may doubt, but I’m yet to see any Caucasians, Arabs, Asians, Mongolians or any other racial groups with a well-set window in their dentition – and I’m definitely not talking about dental deformities here.
Kemi seems to have it all worked out like all conservative, old-school English folks. She’s brimming with confidence and the ardour of conviction that politics or governance shouldn’t be by announcements, slogans or gimmicks. Like the philosopher kings of yore, she’s ready to lose for not offering easy solutions to problems of state, whatever those problems may be.
The challenge of this era of information overflow is that even landmark events easily get blurred in the mix. Therefore, many of those who might have cheered and screamed didn’t see Mrs. Badenoch coming, or only became acutely aware the moment it was confirmed that a black woman of Nigerian heritage, is leading the opposition party in the UK – with chances of becoming the British Prime Minister.
It would seem she popped up from nowhere. But a cursory view of her political footprints says otherwise. At 44, she has all the political experience that should make her career-politician counterpart back in Nigeria green with envy. In her country of birth, she’ll still have to traverse many minefields of adversity in the years ahead.
Following a crushing electoral defeat for the Conservative Party in July, Mrs. Kemi Badenoch won 57% of the vote by party members to emerge leader. She defeated former Immigration Minister, Robert Jenrick, in what was a ‘two-horse race’, according to Aljazeera.
It still sounds strange that Olukemi Olufunto Adegoke Badenoch officially became Leader of the Opposition and Leader of the Conservative Party in the United Kingdom – stranger than it did when a certain Rishi Sunak walked the same trail in 2022. Like Sunak, she’s the offshoot of immigrants. Like Sunak, she was also born in 1980.
The echo of “the first black person” has resonated from where the echo of “the first Indian” originated – and Puritans feel like taking up arms – or may be getting ready to do so. Many years after slavery and colonialism, being black or coloured or anything other than pure birth is still a big deal even in the so-called civilized world.
The significant milestone of being the first black leader of a major UK political party and its historical relevance to British politics is likely to be eclipsed by, in her own words, ‘trivial discourse’. But it is not trivial for many, that a first-generation immigrant is (possibly) just another election away from becoming the occupant of No. 10.
Minorities like Badenoch are good for the short-term purpose of clearing the mess left behind by the trueborn – as did Sunak, and afterwards, they must be content to step aside or get shoved. Whether or not this scenario will play out, is a matter of time.
Indeed, interesting times lie ahead for migrants and immigrants, not only because of the Trump effect, but what impact “muscular conservatives” like Badenoch will have on global politics.
Ordinary folks may not be heard saying “no Badenoch!”, but the writers and opinion leaders have been trolling her on their behalf. She’s been put on skewer more for her unsettling capacity and intelligence than for a lack of ideas. And of course, the real reason is – without blue eyes or blond hair, she doesn’t look in any way like Boris Johnson or Liz Truss – arguably two PMs the UK is likely to wish never to have had.
She’s right in claiming that rival political factions are employing "dirty tricks” and keeping a "dirty dossier" against her. She’s being negatively profiled by a reactionary media. But so far, she has waded through with a singleness of purpose.
There is almost no middle ground with Badenoch. You either like her intensely for her guts, forthrightness and political honesty, or you dislike her for the same reasons. To have defeated Jenrick to the conservative party leadership – with all the advantage he got – says a lot about how far she has come and could still go. It also says a lot about British politics.
If experience is worth the name, she held key cabinet positions, including Secretary of State for Business and Trade and Minister for Women and Equalities under Prime Ministers Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak.
She is known for her commitment to traditional Conservative values, emphasising a return to foundational principles after what she describes as a drift towards the political centre. Her leadership campaign focused on rejuvenating the party's core ideals.
Her straightforward communication style barely leaves any room for nuances and ambiguity, staple ingredients in political communication. Her willingness to engage in contentious debates have garnered both supporters and critics. She is a political fighter, unafraid to tackle sensitive issues such as systemic racism and gender identity.
She is leading a transformative phase within the party, focusing on rebuilding trust and support among voters disillusioned by recent electoral defeats. In proposing a return to "authentic conservatism", Britain is on the verge of getting another Margaret Thatcher, who served as PM when Kemi was born.
Julius Ogar writes from Utako, Abuja