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The Nigerian Presidency has rejected Kemi Badenoch's claims about her upbringing and a police robbery incident in Nigeria. Temitope Ajayi, Senior Special Assistant to President Tinubu, called Badenoch's story a "cock and bull" tale, questioning the truth of her assertions about her past and her brother’s experience with Nigerian police.

The Nigerian Presidency has dismissed remarks made by Kemi Badenoch, the newly elected leader of the UK Conservative Party, as a "cock and bull story." This follows an interview in which Badenoch alleged that her brother was robbed by Nigerian police officers. The claim, made during a discussion about Nigeria’s police force, was strongly rebuffed by Temitope Ajayi, Senior Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu.

Ajayi, responding to Badenoch's allegations on X (formerly Twitter), accused the UK politician of fabricating her upbringing in Nigeria. He questioned the credibility of her account, suggesting that her story of Nigerian police officers stealing her brother’s shoes could be another invention. Ajayi pointed out inconsistencies in Badenoch’s narrative, including her claim of carrying a desk and chair to school at the International School Lagos (ISL) and lacking clean drinking water, despite coming from a wealthy and well-established family. According to Ajayi, her mother was a university professor, and her father was a successful doctor with a private practice.

This response from the Nigerian Presidency marks a public rebuke of Badenoch, questioning both her upbringing and the veracity of her claims. The controversy comes as Badenoch, who holds a significant political position in the UK, faces scrutiny over her remarks about Nigeria.