Public affairs commentator and journalism professor at Kennesaw State University, USA, Farooq Kperogi, has claimed that Nigeria’s former First Lady, Aisha Buhari, was divorced from the late President Muhammadu Buhari before his passing.
Kperogi made the revelation in a post shared on his verified Facebook page on Wednesday, while commenting on a viral quote allegedly attributed to Aisha Buhari. The circulating quote claimed that the late president had asked Aisha to seek forgiveness from Nigerians on his behalf before his death.
While expressing doubts about the authenticity of that statement, Kperogi wrote:
“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 further stated that Aisha had reverted to her maiden name—Aisha Halilu—prior to Buhari’s death.
Backing his claim, Kperogi pointed to several developments that, according to him, indicated a separation between the former couple.
“If you paid close attention, you would notice that Aisha didn’t accompany Buhari to Daura after he left office. Later, when he moved to Kaduna, he was also alone,” he said.
He added that even when Buhari became seriously ill, Aisha was reportedly hesitant to travel to London to care for him, allegedly due to the dissolution of their marriage.
“She eventually went in the final days before his death, but only after intense persuasion,” he wrote.
Kperogi noted that Aisha’s demeanor during the mourning period appeared conflicted, which he attributed to her uncertain status as a former spouse.
He concluded by casting doubt on the quote attributed to her, asking:
“So, I’m genuinely curious to know when and where Buhari told her to beg Nigerians for forgiveness. Where did she even say this?”
The professor’s claims emerged just a day after President Buhari was buried in his hometown of Daura, Katsina State. Aisha Buhari attended the funeral and was seen receiving condolences from dignitaries, including First Lady Oluremi Tinubu.
Aisha Buhari married Muhammadu Buhari on December 2, 1989, and they had five children together. However, signs of strain in the marriage had surfaced in recent years. In 2019, SaharaReporters cited reports from Daily Trust that Aisha had left Nigeria for Saudi Arabia and later London, following undisclosed disagreements within the presidency. She remained abroad for months, raising speculation about tensions in the First Family.
