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British-Nigerian Kemi Badenoch elected UK Conservative Party leader
British-Nigerian, Olukemi Olufunto Adegoke Badenoch, yesterday emerged the leader of the UK Conservative Party,the first black ever to lead a major political party in the country.
The former British Business Secretary,44,polled 53,806 votes to defeat ex-Home Office minister Robert Jenrick who got 41,388 in the final round of voting that ended a bitter four-month long contest.
She replaced Rishi Sunak as leader of the opposition party.
Moments after her election, Badenoch launched into her job, rallying party members that it was “time to get down to business.”
She was full of praise for Sunak and Mr Jenrick’s ‘energy’, but she was quick to acknowledge that the previous government had “let standards slip.”
The party must woo back voters, she stressed.
“The time has come to tell the truth, to stand up for our principles, to plan for the future,” she said.
She branded Labour Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s performance in office so far a shaky start and said this had provided an opportunity for the Conservatives to plan for the future.
Sir Keir nonetheless congratulated her for becoming the first black leader of a major UK political party.
“Congratulations, @KemiBadenoch , on becoming the Conservative Party’s new leader,” he said on his X handle @Keir_Starmer.
He added: “The first Black leader of a Westminster party is a proud moment for our country.
“I look forward to working with you and your party in the interests of the British people.”
Badenoch’s campaign centred on returning the Conservatives to “first principles” and launching a series of reviews in the coming months to shape a new policy platform.
She was born on January 2, 1980 in Wimbledon, London to Nigerian parents.
Her father, Femi Adegoke, was a medical doctor and the mother, Feyi Adegoke, a professor of Physiology.
The couple had two other children.
Kemi grew up in Lagos but relocated to the UK at 16 years to live with a friend of her mother’s owing to the deteriorating political and economic situation in Nigeria.
She got married to banker, Hamish Badenoch, in 2012 and they have three children together.
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Breaking: Wife of former DSP, Ekweremadu, released from UK prison, returns home
By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
Mrs. Beatrice Ekweremadu, wife of ex-Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, has returned to Nigeria.
A reliable source on Wednesday confirmed her return to VANGUARD.
It will be recalled that Senator Ekweremadu, his wife, and Dr. Obinna Obeta were sentenced by a UK court over charges related to organ harvesting.
The former Deputy Senate President received a 10-year prison sentence, while Mrs. Ekweremadu was sentenced to six years.
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18 States Move To Block Trump’s Order Ending Birthright Citizenship For Immigrant Children In US
A coalition of Democratic state attorneys general filed a federal lawsuit on Tuesday to block President Trump’s executive order aimed at eliminating birthright citizenship.
Shortly after taking office on Monday, Trump used presidential powers to initiate his long-promised immigration crackdown. His executive actions included an order directing the federal government to stop issuing passports, citizenship certificates, and other documents to many children born in the U.S. whose mothers are in the country illegally or whose parents are not legal permanent residents.
According to CBS News, the lawsuit, filed by 18 states in federal court in Massachusetts, argues that Mr. Trump’s initiative violates the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which has long been interpreted by the federal government to grant citizenship to those born on American soil.
The cities of San Francisco and Washington, D.C., have also joined the suit.
The 14th Amendment says: “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.”
“The great promise of our nation is that everyone born here is a citizen of the United States, able to achieve the American dream,” New York Attorney General Letitia James said in a statement to CBS News.
“This fundamental right to birthright citizenship, rooted in the 14th Amendment and born from the ashes of slavery, is a cornerstone of our nation’s commitment to justice.”
The lawsuit seeks a preliminary injunction to stop the enforcement of the executive order and ultimately aims to have it invalidated.
The states participating in the suit include California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Wisconsin.
“The President’s executive order attempting to rescind birthright citizenship is blatantly unconstitutional and quite frankly, un-American,” California Attorney General Rob Bonta said in a statement.
The states are asking the court to immediately block the order from taking effect.
Mr. Trump directed that his order should be enforced in 30 days.
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Burkina Faso outlaws colonial-era judicial wigs to embrace cultural identity
In a historic attempt to decolonise the country’s judiciary, President Ibrahim Traoré of Burkina Faso has formally banned judges from wearing wigs from the British and French colonial eras.
President Traoré emphasised in his announcement the importance of eschewing colonial-era traditions and implementing customs that respect Burkina Faso’s cultural identity.
The action is in line with his larger plan to fortify national identity and declare the nation’s autonomy from outside influences. The colonial wigs, which have traditionally stood for outside authority in African legal systems, are gradually being abandoned.
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