President Bola Tinubu has ended his two-day state visit to the United Kingdom without a scheduled meeting with the leader of the Conservative Party, Kemi Badenoch.
Tinubu and First Lady Oluremi Tinubu met with King Charles and Queen Camilla, where they spoke on interfaith organisations, and attended a banquet at Windsor Castle on Wednesday.
On Thursday, the Nigerian leader also met the British Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, at 10 Downing Street.
PUNCH Diaspora Tales learnt that it is a long-standing practice for country’s leaders on official visits to engage the opposition leader.
However, Badenoch was not formally introduced at the event which was held at St George Hall.
Badenoch, the British opposition leader, despite her Nigerian roots, has publicly criticised Nigeria, with a particular claim that the policemen once robbed her.
Her persistent criticisms of Nigeria had attracted reactions from Nigerians, as she said last year that, “most of my life has been in the UK.”
“I know the country very well, I have a lot of family there, and I’m very interested in what happens there. But home is where my now family is. I don’t identify with it anymore.
“Most of my life has been in the UK and I’ve just never felt the need to. I’m Nigerian through ancestry, by birth, despite not being born there because of my parents… but by identity, I’m not really,” Badenoch said
Vice President Kashim Shettima reacted to Badenoch’s attacks on the country, and cautioned her from “denigrating” Nigeria.
Shettima’s outburst was followed by many mixed reactions trailing Badenoch’s decision to choose the UK over Nigeria.
However, in the event, which Nigerian Afro beat singer Tiwa Savage attended on Wednesday, Badenoch was not officially recognised by Tinubu and his delegates.
Also present was the British-Nigerian professional rugby player, Maro Itoje.
The 17-member delegation with Tinubu included Senate President Godswill Akpabio; Attorney General, Lateef Fagbemi; Ministers Dele Alake (Solid Minerals), Idris Mohammed (Information), Wale Edun (Finance), Jumoke Oduwole (Industry, Trade and Investment), Hannatu Musawa (Culture), Bosun Tijani (Communications), and Bianca Ojukwu (State for Foreign Affairs).
Also in attendance were the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa (retd.); National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu; and National Intelligence Agency Director-General Mohammed Mohammed.
The president’s trip centred on transforming a long-standing relationship into a modern economic alliance.
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