A former equality minister of Nigerian parentage, Olukemi Badenoch has expressed interests to replace Boris Johnson as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and leader of the Conservative Party.
Badenoch’s bid has continued to attract public endorsements by some members of the British parliament such as Neil O’Brien, MP for Harborough; Michael Gove, MP for Surrey Heath; and Gareth Bacon, MP for Orpington.
Born Olukemi Olufunto in Wimbledon, London to parents of Nigerian origin, Badenoch was one of the over 50 members of parliament and aides who quit last week after Johnson apologised for appointing a senior colleague facing sexual assault claims to a prominent role.
The UK prime minister was last forced to resign, although he said he would stay in office until his successor was appointed. While announcing her bid for the UK’s top job in an article published in The Times newspaper, 42-year-old Badenoch and MP for Saffron Walden called for change, saying the British public was “exhausted by platitudes and empty rhetoric”.
“I’m putting myself forward in this leadership election because I want to tell the truth,” she said. “It’s the truth that will set us free.
“Without change the Conservative Party, Britain and the western world will continue to drift” and rivals will “outpace us economically and outmanoeuvre us internationally.”
Badenoch is in the race to become the next UK prime minister alongside Rishi Sunak, former chancellor; Sajid Javid, former health secretary; Ben Wallace, defence secretary; and Jeremy Hunt, former foreign secretary, among several others.
Badenoch has previously held roles as Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury and Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department for Education.
She is also a former Vice-Chair of the Conservative Party and former member of the Justice Select Committee.
Prior to her election as a Member of Parliament, she was a Conservative member of the London Assembly, acting as the GLA Conservative’s spokesperson for the economy.
Meanwhile, the ruling Conservative party has said a new UK prime minister would be announced on September 5.