A public affairs analyst and professor of journalism at Kennesaw State University in the US, Farooq Kperogi, has claimed that Nigeria’s former First Lady, Aisha Buhari, was divorced from the late President Muhammadu Buhari before his death.
Kperogi stated this in a post shared on his verified Facebook page on Wednesday.
Addressing reports about Aisha Buhari allegedly saying that her late husband asked her to seek forgiveness from Nigerians on his behalf, Kperogi wrote, “People have been circulating a quote attributed to Aisha Buhari, claiming that Buhari asked her to seek forgiveness from Nigerians on his behalf.
“I can’t confirm the authenticity of that claim, but what I do know is that before Buhari’s death, he and Aisha were no longer married.”
He went further to state that Aisha had already reverted to her maiden name before Buhari’s passing.
“They had divorced, and Aisha reverted to her maiden name, Aisha Halilu.”
Backing his claim with observations, Kperogi noted, “If you paid close attention, you would notice that Aisha didn’t go to Daura when he retired to the town after leaving office. Buhari was also alone when he later relocated to Kaduna.
“In fact, when he fell ill and it was suggested that Aisha travel to London to care for him, she reportedly hesitated because she was no longer his wife. She eventually went in the last few days before he died, but only after intense persuasion.
“Even now, during this period of mourning, she seems understandably conflicted about her role.”
The professor questioned the authenticity of the widely shared statement attributed to Aisha, expressing scepticism.
“So, I’m genuinely curious to know when and where Buhari told her to beg Nigerians for forgiveness. Where did she even say this?” he asked.
His claims come a day after Buhari was laid to rest in his country home at Daura, Katsina State.
Aisha was also present at the burial, visibly grief-stricken as she received comfort from several dignitaries at the event, including First Lady Oluremi Tinubu.
According to publicly available records, Aisha married Buhari on December 2, 1989. The couple had five children together.
In September 2019, SaharaReporters, citing Daily Trust, reported that Aisha Buhari had been out of Nigeria for about two months, sparking concerns within the Presidential Villa.
According to the newspaper, multiple sources at the Villa revealed that the First Lady left the country in protest over “certain developments” within the presidency.
She reportedly departed Nigeria for Saudi Arabia to perform the Hajj pilgrimage but did not return with other pilgrims. Credible sources said that after completing the pilgrimage, she proceeded to London and remained there.
Source: Sahara Reporters
