Public affairs analyst and columnist, Farooq Kperogi, has claimed that Nigeria’s former First Lady, Aisha Buhari, was no longer married to the late President Muhammadu Buhari at the time of his death.
Kperogi made the claim in a Facebook post shared on his verified page on Wednesday, where he addressed circulating reports that Aisha Buhari had said her late husband asked her to seek forgiveness from Nigerians on his behalf.
“People have been circulating a quote attributed to Aisha Buhari, claiming that Buhari asked her to seek forgiveness from Nigerians on his behalf,” 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.”
According to him, Aisha had already reverted to her maiden name, Aisha Halilu, before Buhari’s passing.
“They had divorced, and Aisha reverted to her maiden name, Aisha Halilu,” he added.
Kperogi noted what he described as visible signs of separation between the couple.
“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,” he said.
“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.”
Kperogi added, “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 comments come barely 24 hours after former President Muhammadu Buhari was laid to rest in his hometown of Daura, Katsina State, following his death on Sunday in a London clinic.
