KEY POINTS

• Femi Fani-Kayode has been reassigned from Germany to South Africa as Nigeria’s High Commissioner.
• He denied claims that Germany rejected his appointment, saying he personally requested the redeployment.
• Fani-Kayode threatened legal action against media outlets that reported the alleged rejection story.

Former Aviation Minister, Femi Fani-Kayode, has been reassigned by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as Nigeria’s High Commissioner to South Africa following controversy surrounding his earlier diplomatic posting to Germany.

Fani-Kayode announced the development on his verified Facebook page on Thursday, saying the redeployment was approved after he personally requested to be moved from Germany to South Africa.

The former minister dismissed reports claiming Germany rejected his appointment as Nigeria’s ambassador, insisting the reports were false and misleading.

According to him, he voluntarily asked to be reassigned because he was not comfortable with the Germany posting and preferred South Africa due to his interest in the country and its Pan-African outlook.

He explained that he had already spent much of his life in Europe and wanted to serve in a country whose values and foreign policy positions aligned more closely with his personal beliefs.

Swap Arrangement Approved by Tinubu

Fani-Kayode revealed that former Foreign Affairs Minister, Yusuf Tuggar, considered his request and forwarded it to President Tinubu, who approved the redeployment.

He also appreciated Senator Sam Enang, who was initially posted to South Africa but reportedly agreed to swap postings and take the Germany assignment instead.

Fani-Kayode accused an unnamed online platform of spreading false claims that Germany rejected him, describing the report as malicious and defamatory.

He said the matter had been reported to security agencies and that his lawyers had been instructed to begin legal action against those behind the publication.

The ambassador-designate maintained that no formal rejection was ever issued by Germany and challenged anyone claiming otherwise to provide documentary evidence.