Former Aviation Minister Femi Fani-Kayode has refuted claims that the German government rejected his diplomatic nomination, clarifying that he personally declined the posting to Germany and formally requested redeployment to South Africa, where he had been confirmed as Nigeria’s Ambassador-Designate.
In a statement issued after his South Africa appointment was confirmed, Fani-Kayode said he had contacted the then Foreign Affairs Minister Yusuf Tuggar shortly after his initial Germany posting was announced to express personal reservations about the assignment and request redeployment to a country he had long admired but never visited.
He described his preference for South Africa as driven by its economic standing, its close bilateral ties with Nigeria, and what he described as a shared outlook on Pan-African values and international affairs. He said he would rather serve in a country that aligned with his convictions and beliefs about global affairs.
Tuggar reportedly considered the request favourably and forwarded it to President Tinubu, who approved the redeployment. Fani-Kayode expressed gratitude to both the president and the former minister and also thanked Senator Sam Enang, who had been originally posted to South Africa, for agreeing to switch postings and proceed to Germany instead.
He described reports alleging that Germany had formally rejected his nomination as false, malicious, and deliberately designed to embarrass him and the federal government.
