BREAKING: Germany reportedly rejects Tinubu’s appointment of Femi Fani-Kayode as ambassador

Germany has rejected former Minister Femi Fani-Kayode’s ambassadorial posting due to his history of divisive ethnic and religious statements, Peoples Gazette can exclusively report.

President Bola Tinubu approved Mr Fani-Kayode’s posting to a Central European country on March 6, 2026. However, according to Peoples Gazette, the German government formally rejected the nomination on March 13, citing the former minister’s “erratic behaviour, controversial past statements, particularly his divisive ethnocentric, tribalistic, and religious fundamentalist comments in Nigeria,” which they described as “destabilising.”

The rejection follows an incident in which Mr Fani-Kayode reportedly insulted the United Kingdom’s High Commissioner to Nigeria, Richard Montgomery, during a Ramadan dinner hosted by Senator Bashir Lado, the president’s special adviser on Senate matters, in Abuja.

Attempts to reach Mr Fani-Kayode for comment on Sunday were unsuccessful. Meanwhile, a senior administration official told Peoples Gazette that he could be redeployed as ambassador to South Africa.

Mr Fani-Kayode is known for his controversial statements and polarising social media presence. In August 2020, he verbally insulted a journalist in Calabar, Cross River, after being questioned about the funding of his nationwide tour. The journalist asked, “Who is bankrolling you?” and Mr Fani-Kayode responded by calling the reporter “stupid” and the question “insulting.” He later apologised following public backlash.

The former minister has also faced public scrutiny over a child custody dispute with his estranged wife, Precious Chikwendu, and was previously charged by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) with fraud, money laundering, and forgery over an 18-year period. Between 2024 and 2025, however, the courts dismissed all EFCC cases, which included alleged fraudulent receipt of N4.9 billion, laundering of N200 million and later N8 billion, and forgery of medical reports, citing failure by the prosecution to link him to the offences.