United States-based Nigerian academic and columnist Farooq Kperogi has issued a public apology to former First Lady Aisha Buhari following a controversial Facebook post alleging that she divorced the late President Muhammadu Buhari before his death.
In a statement shared on his official Facebook page on Sunday afternoon, Kperogi described his July 16 post titled “Aisha Buhari, Divorce, and Forgiveness Claim” as “one of the worst and cruelest lapses of judgment” he has ever made. He acknowledged that the post caused “profoundly painful consequences” for Mrs. Buhari and those close to her.
While maintaining that his source was “unimpeachable” and that the information was accurate, Kperogi admitted the details were never intended for public disclosure. “Going public with the information was an error on my part, as not every well-sourced information is for public consumption,” he wrote.
The July 16 post, which claimed that Aisha Buhari and her late husband had divorced prior to his passing and that the late president had asked her for forgiveness before his death, sparked widespread reactions and public scrutiny online.
Kperogi revealed that Alhaji Sani Zorro, former senior special assistant to the ex-First Lady on Public Affairs and a respected associate, reached out to challenge the claim and conveyed Mrs. Buhari’s position that her marriage to the late president remained intact.
“I will not contest the particulars and veracity of the information with Alhaji Sani who conveyed the former First Lady’s position that her marriage was intact,” Kperogi said, adding a reference to the late MKO Abiola’s saying: “no one can give you a haircut in your absence.”
He further stressed that Mrs. Buhari’s version of her marital life “should be respected as supreme, whatever other facts may exist.”
Emphasizing that he acted without malice, Kperogi took full responsibility for any emotional distress caused by his post. “I shouldn’t have shared it publicly. Period. Doing so violated every moral and ethical principle I cherish and uphold. But it shows I am only human, an imperfect human.”
He also addressed skepticism about his intentions, stating, “I realise it might be impossible for many to believe (except those who truly know me) that I acted without malice, ulterior motives, or external influence. But I sincerely did not intend to harm Mrs. Buhari or execute any personal vendetta.”
Kperogi concluded his statement with an unreserved apology: “To Mrs. Aisha Buhari, I offer my heartfelt and unreserved apology for the needless and deeply regrettable hurt I have caused. I am truly sorry.”
