Former Aviation Minister, Femi Fani-Kayode, has confirmed his appointment as Nigeria’s Ambassador-Designate to South Africa, dismissing reports that he was rejected by Germany as “false and malicious.”
In a statement issued on Thursday, Fani-Kayode disclosed that his deployment to South Africa followed a personal request he made to be reassigned from Germany, where he had initially been posted after his nomination by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
According to him, the decision was based on personal considerations and his long-standing interest in South Africa’s strategic role in African affairs.
He explained that he formally wrote to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar, seeking a redeployment.
“I made a formal representation that I was not comfortable with Germany for personal reasons and preferred South Africa, a country I have never been to but have a great interest in,” he said.
Fani-Kayode noted that after discussions with the Foreign Affairs Minister, the request was forwarded to President Tinubu, who approved the change in posting.
“I will be eternally grateful to Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for this favourable consideration,” he stated.
The former minister also expressed appreciation to Senator Sam Enang, who was originally assigned to South Africa but later agreed to a swap arrangement that saw him moved to Germany.
Reacting to online reports claiming that German authorities rejected his nomination, Fani-Kayode described the reports as fabricated and aimed at tarnishing his image as well as embarrassing the Federal Government.
He insisted that no diplomatic rejection was ever communicated by Germany and accused an unnamed online platform of deliberately spreading falsehoods for sensational purposes.
According to him, the misleading reports emerged after an internal communication concerning his redeployment was leaked and twisted to create a false narrative.
Fani-Kayode said the matter had already been reported to security agencies, while legal proceedings for defamation had also commenced.
He challenged those behind the reports to produce proof of any rejection by Germany, maintaining that no such evidence exists.
The former minister said he decided to publicly address the controversy following concerns raised by friends, associates, and supporters.
He reaffirmed his commitment to serving Nigeria and expressed optimism about his diplomatic mission in South Africa, which he described as a country he deeply admires for its history and influence on the African continent.
