US-based Nigerian academic and columnist, Professor Farooq Kperogi, has issued a formal apology to former First Lady Aisha Buhari for claiming she was no longer married to the late President Muhammadu Buhari before his death.
In a social media post on July 16, 2025, Kperogi alleged that Aisha Buhari had divorced the former president shortly after he left office in 2023, claiming she had dropped his surname and resumed using her maiden name, “Aisha Halilu.” He also suggested she had been reluctant to care for him during his illness in the UK.
“They had divorced, and Aisha reverted to her maiden name, Aisha Halilu,” Kperogi wrote in the now-controversial post. “She didn’t accompany him to Daura after he left office. When he later relocated to Kaduna and fell ill, she reportedly hesitated to travel to London to care for him because she was no longer his wife.”
The post stirred significant backlash and public scrutiny. On Sunday, July 20, Kperogi published a retraction and a heartfelt apology, admitting that sharing the information was a “serious lapse in judgment.”
“I honestly didn’t anticipate the profoundly painful consequences that my July 16 Facebook update titled ‘Aisha Buhari, Divorce, and Forgiveness Claim’ would have on former First Lady Mrs. Aisha Buhari and the people close to her,” he wrote.
He acknowledged that while the information may have been credible from sources he trusted, making it public was a mistake.
“Going public with the information was an error on my part. Not every well-sourced story is meant for public consumption,” he admitted.
Kperogi revealed that Alhaji Sani Zorro, former Senior Special Assistant on Public Affairs to the First Lady, personally contacted him to challenge the claim and conveyed Aisha Buhari’s position that her marriage remained intact until the former president’s death.
“I will not contest the particulars or veracity of the clarification shared by Alhaji Zorro. As the late MKO Abiola wisely said, ‘No one can give you a haircut in your absence.’”
He emphasized that only Mrs. Buhari has the right to define the narrative around her personal life.
“Her account must be regarded as final and authoritative. Her truth, regardless of what others may claim, should be respected.”
Kperogi stated that he did not act with malice or any hidden agenda, but accepted full responsibility for the emotional distress his comments may have caused.
“I shouldn’t have shared it publicly. Period,” he wrote. “Doing so violated moral and ethical standards I strive to uphold. But it shows I am fallible—just a human being who made a painful mistake.”
He concluded with a direct and unreserved apology:
“To Mrs. Aisha Buhari, I offer my heartfelt and unqualified apology for the unnecessary and deeply regrettable hurt I have caused. I am truly sorry.”
