Fani-Kayode Announces New Posting To South Africa

Ambassador-designate Femi Fani-Kayode has announced his new posting to South Africa, indicating that President Bola Tinubu approved the redeployment.

Fani-Kayode disclosed this on Thursday via his official X handle.

According to him, the redeployment followed his formal notice of dissatisfaction with his initial posting to Germany, citing personal reasons.

Fani-Kayode disclosed that he applied for redeployment two days after the announcement of his initial posting through the office of former Foreign Affairs Minister, Yusuf Tuggar, who conveyed his application to President Tinubu.

He wrote, “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.”

Fani-Kayode welcomed the development, asserting that it is in line with his political thinking on foreign affairs and his pan-African vision.

He added, “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.

“I therefore made an application for a redeployment to South Africa two days after the initial announcement was made, and I am pleased to say that after the then Foreign Minister (H.E. Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar) heard my reasons, he considered them favourably, after which he conveyed the request to Mr President, who graciously approved it.

“I will be eternally grateful to Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for this favourable consideration.”

He commended Senator Sam Enang, who was previously posted to South Africa, for swapping roles with him.

He said, “I also take this opportunity to thank Senator Sam Enang, who was originally posted to South Africa and who was pleased to go to Germany instead, to agree for a straight swap.”

He also clarified a viral media report suggesting he was rejected by Germany, saying, “I take this opportunity to once again confirm that this was my choice and that Germany NEVER rejected me, which was a fake report that was published in an irresponsible online magazine that thrives on sensationalism, lies and blackmail.

“Their story was not only irresponsible and insulting but was also a total and complete fabrication based on hearsay, beer parlour talk and cheap gossip and designed to embarrass my goodself, the Federal Government and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.”

He described the report as a deliberate attempt to hurt and destroy his career by bringing both “national and international opprobium and disrepute.”

He said, “Worse still, they listed a number of clearly outlandish and absurd reasons for this purported and fake ‘rejection’ which they patched together and concocted, reflecting the malevolent condition of their perverse imagination.

“Our findings after a preliminary investigation were that the story was not only sponsored but was also written with malicious intent and designed to hurt and destroy my career and bring me into both national and international opprobium and disrepute.”

“We have reported the online magazine and the individuals that are behind it with a petition to the relevant security agencies for necessary action. I have also briefed my lawyers to take up the matter, and we shall be suing them in a civil action for defamation,” he disclosed.

He explained the story behind the alleged leak, saying, “What actually happened was that the day an ‘agreement’ was sent to South Africa by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which was on March 13th, it was leaked to them and they falsely and maliciously reported that it was sent only because I had been formally rejected by Germany, which they knew to be false.

“They attempted to establish falsehood as fact, and this is unacceptable and far below the par of professionalism and proper journalism.”

Fani-Kayode urged the public to disregard the report, saying, “If there was such a formal rejection, I challenge them to bring the proof with documentary evidence. I repeat this never happened, and I urge the media to be far more circumspect with such reports.”

He clarified that the statement is necessary due to the concern that many of my friends and loved ones have expressed over the matter, and in an attempt to set the record straight.

“God-willing, I look forward to serving as Nigeria’s Ambassador to South Africa, a nation that I admire and respect, given its remarkable and inspiring history,” he concluded.