Did Germany Reject Femi Fani-Kayode As Ambassador? - FFK Replies Peoples Gazette
EXCLUSIVE: Germany rejects Tinubu’s appointment of Femi Fani-Kayode as ambassador over rabid ethnic, religious slurs
The German government rejected Mr Fani-Kayode’s nomination due to his “erratic behaviour” and divisive, ethnocentric and tribalistic comments.
Germany has rejected Femi Fani-Kayode’s ambassadorial posting over rabid ethnic and religious slurs, Peoples Gazette can exclusively report.
President Bola Tinubu, on March 6, approved the posting of the former minister to a Central European country as an ambassador-designate. However, The Gazette exclusively learnt on Sunday that the German government rejected Mr Fani-Kayode’s posting to the country on March 13, 2026.
The German government said it rejected Mr Fani-Kayode’s nomination due to his “erratic behaviour, controversial past statements, particularly his divisive ethnocentric, tribalistic, and religious fundamentalist comments in Nigeria”, which the European country said was “destabilising”.
Mr Fani-Kayode’s rejection by Germany came days after the former minister insulted the United Kingdom’s high commissioner to Nigeria, Richard Montgomery, during an argument at a Ramadan dinner hosted by Senator Bashir Lado, the president’s special adviser on Senate matters, at his Abuja home.
The rejected ambassador-designate could not be reached immediately for a comment on Sunday.
Meanwhile, a senior administration official told The Gazette that he might be redeployed to South Africa as an ambassador.
Mr Fani-Kayode, one of the prominent political figures Mr Tinubu appointed as ambassadors, is infamous for his unsavoury utterances and controversial, sometimes divisive, writings on social media and in newspapers.
In August 2020, Mr Fani-Kayode verbally insulted a journalist, Eyo Charles of the Daily Independent newspaper, after the reporter questioned the funding of his tour of states across the country at the time.
During a press conference in Calabar, Cross River, Mr Eyo asked the politician, “Who is bankrolling you?”
Irate Mr Fani-Kayode responded by calling the journalist “stupid” and his question “insulting”. Following public backlash, Mr Fani-Kayode later apologised for his remarks.
Again, Mr Fani-Kayode came under public scrutiny over a child custody dispute with his estranged wife, Precious Chikwendu.
The former minister had also been charged by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission with fraud, money laundering, and forgery over an 18-year period.
However, between 2024 and 2025, the courts dismissed the EFCC cases, which included alleged fraudulent receipt of N4.9 billion, laundering N200 million, and later N8 billion, and forgery of medical reports, on the grounds that the prosecution team failed to link Mr Fani-Kayode to the alleged offences.
Germany did not reject my ambassadorial nomination, says Fani-Kayode
Former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, has denied a media report claiming that he was rejected by the German government as an ambassador.
Peoples Gazette had reported on Monday that the former minister’s ambassadorial posting was rejected over alleged ethnic and religious slurs.
Recall that President Bola Tinubu had approved the posting of the former minister as an ambassador-designate to a Central European country.
However, the online platform claimed that the German government rejected Fani-Kayode’s posting on March 13, 2026.
According to the report, the German authorities cited his “erratic behaviour” and “controversial past statements, particularly his divisive ethnocentric, tribalistic, and religious fundamentalist comments in Nigeria,” which they described as “destabilising.”
The report also quoted a senior administration official as saying that Fani-Kayode might be redeployed to South Africa as an ambassador.
However, in a post on his official X handle on Monday, Fani-Kayode dismissed the report as false, accusing opposition politicians of being behind it.
He said the opposition was “pained” by his appointment and was making efforts to discredit him.
The former minister vowed to serve the country despite what he described as attempts to undermine his nomination.
“Fake news everywhere. These opposition elements are so pained by my appointment, and they are doing everything to discredit me and scuttle it. Whether they like it or not, I will serve my country! Keep crying!” he wrote.
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