Former Aviation Minister, Femi Fani-Kayode has revealed that President Bola Tinubu approved his appointment as Nigeria’s Ambassador-Designate to South Africa after a change in his initial diplomatic posting.
In a statement shared on his X account on Thursday, Fani-Kayode explained that he was originally assigned to Germany but requested a redeployment.
He said he formally contacted the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to express concerns about serving in Germany and appealed to be reassigned to South Africa instead.
He said his request was considered and approved by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar, who subsequently conveyed it to Tinubu for final approval.
He said, “It gives me pleasure to announce the fact that Mr President has graciously approved my posting as Nigeria’s Ambassador-Designate to South Africa.
“This came a few days after the initial posting to Germany was announced and after I made a formal representation to the then Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar, that I was not comfortable with Germany for a number of personal reasons and given the fact that I had lived in Europe most of my life I would prefer to go to South Africa which is a country that I had never been to and for which I have so much interest.
“I also expressed the fact that I would rather serve in a country that shares some of my convictions, beliefs, and values when it comes to world affairs, that has the biggest economy in Africa, that has closer ties to Nigeria, and that is more proximate to my political thinking when it comes to foreign affairs and a pan-African vision.”
He also disclosed that the adjustment involved a swap arrangement with Senator Sam Enang, who was initially posted to South Africa but opted for Germany.
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The former minister dismissed reports suggesting that Germany had rejected his appointment, describing such claims as false and malicious.
He said the reports were fabricated and intended to damage his reputation and embarrass the Federal Government.
Fani-Kayode added that he had instructed his lawyers to pursue legal action against the publication responsible for the report, while also reporting the matter to relevant security agencies.
He further urged the media to verify information before publication, insisting that no formal rejection came from Germany.
The former minister thanked Tinubu and the foreign affairs minister for approving his redeployment, saying he looks forward to serving Nigeria in South Africa.