South Africa wants ‘Sakiya’ diplomacy – Shehu Sani backs Fani-Kayode

Former Kaduna Central Senator, Shehu Sani, has thrown his weight behind Nigeria’s ambassador to South Africa, Femi Fani-Kayode, describing him as the precise particular person to deal with diplomatic relations with the nation amid the rising controversy over his remedy by South African authorities.

Sani mentioned South Africa wanted somebody able to responding appropriately to completely different conditions, relying on the strategy adopted by the opposite celebration.

The former lawmaker made the comment in a put up on his X deal with on Sunday.

“Fani Kayode is the best choice for South Africa at this material time. They need someone who can switch to any mode when the occasion demands for it. If you speak diplomacy you get diplomacy, if you speak ‘sakiya’ you get ‘Sakiya’,” he wrote.

His remark comes amid rising diplomatic rigidity between Nigeria and South Africa following accusations by the Nigerian High Commission in South Africa and the South African Presidency over the alleged exclusion of Nigeria’s ambassador from a livestream of a diplomatic ceremony.

Fani-Kayode had accused the South African Presidency of intentionally excluding Nigeria’s delegation from the livestream of the presentation of his letter of credence to President Cyril Ramaphosa on Friday.

The ceremony, held in Pretoria, concerned 15 ambassadors presenting their letters of credence to the South African chief.

The allegation triggered an change of accusations between the Nigerian High Commission and the South African Presidency, sparking reactions from Nigerians and South Africans on social media on Saturday.