UK’s party leader shuns Nigerian heritage call British based Nigerian, the newly elected leader of the United Kingdom (UK) Conservative Party, Kemi Badenoch, has been accused of ignoring calls by Nigerian government Commission to embrace her Nigerian heritage. Badenoch, triumphed over Robert Jenrick, a former immigration minister, securing 57 percent of party members’ votes in the election. Chairman of Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa who made the allegation on Wednesday Channels Television programme tagged ‘Morning Brief’, alleged that her office has reached out to Badenoch on several occasions, but has received no response. When asked if the Nigerian government has identified Badenosh, who spent most of her childhood in Lagos, Dabiri-Erewa said, “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”. “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. 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”. Badenoch who was born to Nigerian parents, according to Dabiri-Erewa, who prayed not to learn the 44-year-old Parliamentarian doesn’t learn her lessons the hard way like the Nigerian 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”, Dabiri-Erewa said.