The High Commissioner of Nigeria to South Africa, Femi Fani-Kayode, and the South African presidency have exchanged words following allegations that Nigeria’s delegation was deliberately excluded from a livestream of the presentation of his letter of credence to President Cyril Ramaphosa.
The incident reportedly occurred on Friday during a ceremony involving 15 ambassadors who presented their letters of credence to Ramaphosa in Pretoria, South Africa.
Fani-Kayode accused the South African presidency of deliberately cutting off the Nigerian delegation from the livestream, alleging that Nigeria was the only country whose ambassadorial introduction and speech were not broadcast.
In a statement shared on his Facebook page, the Nigerian envoy said all 15 ambassadors were formally introduced and given the opportunity to deliver speeches, but Nigeria’s presentation was excluded.
He said, “Every single one of the 15 ambassadors that were present was introduced formally and gave a speech.
“Curiously, the South African presidency refused to air the introduction of my good self and the Nigerian delegation or to air my speech. They went a step further by cutting us out of the livestream completely and went back on livestream only after my speech was concluded.
“Of all the 15 introductions and speeches that were made and delivered this morning, only Nigeria’s was cut out.”
Fani-Kayode further disclosed that he raised the matter directly with President Ramaphosa, who reportedly questioned the officials responsible and directed that the issue be resolved immediately.
According to him, however, the intervention came too late because the Nigerian delegation had already been excluded from the broadcast.
“Right there in my presence, he questioned and directed them to resolve the issue immediately.
“Sadly, by then it was too late and Nigeria had been left out. To be clear, I repeat, we were the only ones that were left out,” he added.
The former Nigerian aviation minister suggested that the incident might have been the result of a conspiracy by individuals who did not want his speech broadcast.
He, however, said at least two Nigerian television stations were present at the ceremony and recorded his address, promising that the footage would be made available to Nigerians.
South African Presidency Rejects Fani-Kayode’s Account
Responding to the allegations, the spokesperson for the South African President, Vincent Magwenya, challenged Fani-Kayode’s account, particularly his description of Ramaphosa’s involvement in the matter.
In a response addressed to the Nigerian envoy on X, Magwenya said the South African President neither intervened on his behalf nor interfered with the operations of the South African Broadcasting Corporation.
He explained that Ramaphosa simply directed Fani-Kayode to Sophie Mokoena, whom he identified as the appropriate person to address the complaint.
“Your Excellency, you refused to speak to @Sophie_Mokoena who would have cleared the misunderstanding with you. I would encourage you, that as you start your tenure in South Africa you meet with SABC to forge a mutually beneficial, respectful and professional relationship,” Magwenya said.
The presidential spokesperson maintained that Ramaphosa had no legal or political authority to interfere with the broadcaster’s operations or editorial processes.
He also criticised Fani-Kayode’s reaction to what he described as a minor operational issue, urging the Nigerian envoy to engage constructively with different aspects of South African society and its constitutional provisions.
“I wish you well on your tenure and I hope you begin to engage the various aspects of South African society and its constitutional tenets constructively,” he added.
Nigerian Community Reacts to Alleged Livestream Exclusion
Meanwhile, the President of the Nigerian Citizens Association in South Africa, Frank Onyekwelu, said he was not present in the Presidential Guest Room when the incident occurred.
Speaking with Saturday PUNCH, Onyekwelu confirmed that the association had been informed about the controversy.
“We were informed about this issue, and I’m doing an interview with a media platform on the presentation and the cut-off,” he said.
The disagreement has drawn attention to the circumstances surrounding Nigeria’s presentation at the diplomatic ceremony, with Fani-Kayode alleging deliberate exclusion and the South African presidency disputing his account of Ramaphosa’s intervention.
As of the statements cited, the two sides had offered different accounts of the incident.