TINUBU SNUBS BADENOCH, EXCLUDES CONSERVATIVE LEADER FROM TWO-DAY ITINERARY

March 22, 2026 • Dons Eze • 1 min read

President Bola Tinubu’s two-day state visit to the UK, which began on Wednesday, does not include a meeting with Kemi Badenoch, the leader of the Conservative Party.

On the first day, Tinubu met with King Charles and Queen Camilla, engaged with interfaith organizations, and attended a banquet where he and the monarch delivered speeches. He is set to meet Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Thursday. Typically, it is customary for heads of state on official visits to meet the opposition leader, but Badenoch was not formally introduced to him during the dinner.

Badenoch, who has publicly criticized Nigeria despite her Nigerian heritage, suggested that she no longer identifies with her ancestral roots. She referred to Nigeria as a nation with corrupt politicians and has accused the Nigerian police of robbing her. Her comments have drawn rebukes from Nigerian leaders, including Vice-President Kashim Shettima.

Dons Eze

DONS EZE, PhD, Political Philosopher and Journalist of over four decades standing, worked in several newspaper houses across the country, and rose to the positions of Editor and General Manager. A UNESCO Fellow in Journalism, Dr. Dons Eze, a prolific writer and author of many books, attended several courses on Journalism and Communication in both Nigeria and overseas, including a Postgraduate Course on Journalism at Warsaw, Poland; Strategic Communication and Practical Communication Approach at RIPA International, London, the United Kingdom, among others.