Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said she no longer regarded it as a Nigerian and had not renewed her passport since the early 2000s.
Born in England, Badenoch grew up in Nigeria and the United States. She returned to England, 16, as a result of deteriorating political and economic climate in Nigeria and continuing her education.
She said she was “Nigerian through ancestors” but “through identity, I’m not true” when she spoke on the Rosebud podcast of former MP and TV show host Gyles Brandreth.
Last year, Badenoch faced criticism from Nigeria’s vice president who said she “deprecated” West African countries.
Badenoch, who used to live in Lagos, talked in detail about her upbringing on the podcast.
“I know this country very well, there are a lot of families there, and I’m very interested in what’s going on there,” she said. “But home is my current family.”
When she did not renew her passport, she said, “I no longer agree.
She added: “Although my parents were not born there, I am Nigerian, and although my parents were not born…but by identity, I am not true.”
Badennock said she had to get a visa when her father visited the country when she died, which was “large van Dango”.
She said her early experiences in Nigeria shaped her political views, including “why I don’t like socialism.”
As a kid, she continued, “I remember never feeling like I belong there”, adding that she recalled “the idea of returning to England in 1996: It’s home.”
The Conservative leader added her return to the UK because of “a very sad person”.
“That’s what my parents thought: ‘This country has no future for the future’.”
She said she hadn’t experienced racial bias in the UK “in any meaningful form”, adding: “I know I’m going to go to a place that’s different from everyone, and I don’t think it’s weird.
“I find it actually interesting that people treat me differently, which is why I defend Britain so quickly whenever there are allegations of racism.”
Late last year, Badenoch was criticized for saying she grew up in Nigeria with fear and insecurity plagued by corruption.
The country’s vice president, Kashim Shettima, replied that despite her efforts to devalue her country of origin, his government took pride in “Badennock”. A Badenoch spokesman declined the criticism.
