Abike Dabiri-Erewa, the chairman of Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) has said the new leader of the Conservative Party, Kemi Badenoch snubbed her and her team.
Speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Show, Dabiri-Erewa said nobody would be forced to associate with his or her Nigerian roots.
She noted that her office, NiDCOM on a few occasions reached out to Badenoch but got no response from the Conservative Party leader.
Her words, “It depends on if she identifies the Nigerianess in her. We have reached out to her once or twice without any response.
“So we don’t force people to accept to be Nigerian,” Dabiri-Erewa noted.
She added, “If you appreciate the Nigerianess in you and you want to work with us, we are open to everybody, but we cannot force you to appreciate the Nigerianess in you.”
Citing the case with Miss Universe Nigeria, Chidimma Adetshina, NiDCOM CEO said the beauty queen felt Nigerian enough to identify with her people.
“You remember the Miss Universe Nigeria in South Africa.
“Until she got into a little problem with South Africa she identified with Nigeria, and she identified with Nigeria, came to Nigeria and we hosted her. As long as that blood is in you, you are a Nigerian.
“So, it depends on Kemi to decide whether appreciates the Nigerianess in her, whether she wants to work with Nigeria, but we cannot force anybody,” she said.