●Says Former First Lady Reverted to Maiden Name
Public affairs commentator and U.S.-based academic, Professor Farooq Kperogi, has claimed that former Nigerian First Lady, Aisha Buhari, was no longer married to late President Muhammadu Buhari at the time of his death.
Kperogi made the assertion in a post on his verified Facebook page on Wednesday, while reacting to reports that Aisha Buhari had allegedly conveyed a message of apology from her late husband to Nigerians. He questioned the authenticity of that statement, stating that based on his knowledge, the former First Lady had reverted to her maiden name, Aisha Halilu, prior to Buhari’s passing.
“I can’t verify the authenticity of that statement, but what I do know is that before Buhari’s death, he and Aisha were no longer married. They had divorced, and she resumed using her maiden name, Aisha Halilu,” Kperogi wrote.
To bolster his claim, the media scholar pointed to several instances, including Aisha’s absence from Buhari’s relocation to Daura after leaving office in May 2023 and her reported hesitation to visit him during his final illness in London.
“If you paid attention, you’d notice Aisha didn’t accompany Buhari to Daura after he left office. He was alone when he later moved to Kaduna. Even when he fell ill and there were suggestions that Aisha travel to London to care for him, she reportedly hesitated because they were no longer married. She only went in his final days after much persuasion,” he wrote.
Kperogi further argued that Aisha’s current position during the national mourning of her late husband appears uncertain, allegedly due to the dissolution of their marriage.
He also questioned the origin of the apology attributed to Buhari through Aisha. “I’m genuinely curious — when and where did Buhari supposedly tell her to apologise to Nigerians? Where did she even say this?” he asked.
As of the time of filing this report, neither Aisha Buhari nor any member of the Buhari family had responded to Kperogi’s claims. The presidency and other official sources have also not made any statements confirming or denying the alleged divorce.
