Germany Rejection Report Was Designed to Damage My Reputation — Fani-Kayode
Former Aviation Minister Femi Fani-Kayode has confirmed that President Bola Tinubu approved his redeployment as Nigeria’s ambassador-designate to South Africa following his personal request to be reassigned from Germany.
In a statement issued on Thursday, Fani-Kayode said he sought the redeployment shortly after his initial posting to Germany was announced, citing personal reasons and his preference to serve in South Africa.
According to him, he informed the then Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, that he had spent most of his life in Europe and preferred a posting in Africa, particularly in South Africa, a country he said he admired and had long wanted to experience.
He also explained that he preferred serving in a country whose views on African affairs, economic development and pan-African ideals aligned more closely with his convictions.
Fani-Kayode said Tuggar considered his request favourably before forwarding it to President Tinubu, who later approved the redeployment.
The former minister expressed appreciation to both the president and Tuggar for granting his request, while also thanking Senator Sam Enang, who was originally assigned to South Africa but agreed to swap postings and proceed to Germany instead.
He dismissed reports claiming that Germany rejected his nomination, describing the publication as false, malicious and aimed at damaging his reputation and embarrassing the Federal Government.
According to him, the report was based on “hearsay, beer parlour talk and cheap gossip,” adding that there was never any formal rejection from Germany.
Fani-Kayode revealed that petitions had been submitted to relevant security agencies over the publication and that his legal team had been instructed to commence a civil defamation suit against those responsible.
He maintained that the confusion arose after diplomatic communication relating to his redeployment to South Africa was leaked and misrepresented as evidence of rejection by Germany.
The ambassador-designate said he remained committed to serving Nigeria in South Africa and described the country as one he admired for its history and role on the African continent.
