My former lecturer at the London School of Journalism (LSJ), Nick Allati, once told me, “it is not everything that pops into your head that you write or say”. As humans, we have a natural instinct and ability to weigh our actions and the consequences they will have first on us, our readers, and those affected by our conduct. However, we live in a world today where people prioritise clickbait, huge followership, and monetised content above ethics, sound judgement and moral reasoning. That is why I find the latest post by Farooq Kperogi on former First Lady Aisha Buhari very distasteful and hugely irresponsible.
On July 16, 2025, Kperogi published unverified claims on Facebook about the personal life of Aisha Buhari—alleging that she had divorced the late President Muhammadu Buhari before his death. He also claimed that Aisha had reverted to her maiden name and delayed accompanying the late Buhari during his final illness. Given the huge followership Kperogi enjoys, these assertions quickly went viral and were reported by many media houses. However, four days later, precisely on July 20, Kperogi issued a public apology—calling the post “one of the worst and cruellest lapses of judgement.” He conceded that, although his source insisted the information was accurate, it was meant for private consumption and should never have been made public. Ultimately, he affirmed that Mrs. Buhari’s own account should be deemed supreme.
In a lengthy statement released Sunday and titled “Apology to Aisha Buhari,” Kperogi acknowledged that his July 16 Facebook post titled “Aisha Buhari, Divorce, and Forgiveness Claim” was ill-judged and has caused significant emotional distress to Mrs. Buhari and her close associates.
“Although I absolutely should have foreseen it, I honestly didn’t anticipate the profoundly painful consequences that my July 16 Facebook update… would have on former First Lady Mrs. Aisha Buhari and people closest to her. It’s one of the worst and cruellest lapses of judgement I have ever committed in my life, and it has been a source of unfathomable personal anguish for me these past few days,” Kperogi wrote.
Kperogi, who also revealed that Sani Zorro, former senior special assistant to the former First Lady on public affairs, contacted him to question the accuracy of his claims and relayed Aisha Buhari’s position that her marriage remained intact until President Buhari’s death, further disclosed that the divorce claim had come from a trusted source whom he described as having “unimpeachable integrity,” but who, according to him, never intended for the information to become public.
The late Buhari and Aisha left office together on May 29, 2023. There was no scandal reported about their marriage since then. In viral videos, Aisha and her children were sighted at the London Hospital crying after Buhari passed away. She accompanied the corpse to Nigeria for burial. During the burial ceremony in Daura, Katsina state, President Bola Tinubu handed over the Nigerian flag that draped the remains of the late Buhari to his wife, Aisha. It was a very emotional moment as she accepted the flag and held it to her bosom.
Yet, Kperogi authored a thoughtless post that they were divorced. Even if they were divorced before Buhari’s death, of what use are Kperogi’s revelations if not for clickbait and to cause unnecessary confusion where there was none? The publication coincided with a period of national grief following President Buhari’s death on July 13, 2025, making it especially insensitive. Far from serving public interest, the claim amplified trauma for the bereaved family and provoked unwelcome speculation, adding emotional burden during a profoundly vulnerable time. Some even wickedly alleged that the ‘divorce’ may have bordered on infidelity.
During her tenure as First Lady, Aisha Buhari served the country creditably well. She is a woman of class who did everything to avoid controversy, unlike her predecessor. Coming from a society where women are perceived as an item for the ‘oza room’ who should not be seen or heard, she spoke truth to power on many occasions, irrespective of whose ox is gored. During the early days of the Buhari administration, she voiced out that her husband’s government had been hijacked by cabals and those who contributed nothing to the party’s success at the polls. Many condemned her actions then, saying she shouldn’t have voiced her concerns to the public, but she never budged.
In my article last week titled ‘Foreign Medical Treatment and Self-Colonising Mentality of Nigerian Leaders,’ I recalled an incident where Aisha publicly excoriated and upbraided the chief medical director of the State House Medical Centre, Dr. Husain Munir, over the poor state of the health facility at Aso Villa. She was asked to go for medical treatment abroad, but she declined, saying she wanted to be treated here in Nigeria, like the common man. Such a woman deserves all our support at these trying times and not the falsity peddled by Kperogi.
Lastly, even though he has apologised, which I greatly commended him for, Kperogi’s claim that he received the divorce information from a trusted source with unimpeachable integrity is erroneous. Only Almighty God has unimpeachable integrity, as sinful humans are fallible and are prone to make mistakes. Besides, what if Kperogi’s trusted source had some personal scores to settle with Aisha and decided to fly the story of divorce in order to discredit her? Was the alleged divorce carried out verbally or in the customary court? Did Kperogi ask for any evidence before going public or just assume his source must always be right?
Ultimately, Kperogi’s unfounded divorce claim borders on the thin line between matters of public ethics and privacy. Journalists wield immense influence over public discourse. Publishing deeply personal allegations—especially about divorce and marital status—without verification violates fundamental journalistic ethics. Kperogi’s decision to go public with sensitive material that had not been substantiated crosses a boundary between commentary and speculative intrusion into private matters.
Inadvertently, Kperogi may be contributing to the cruel treatment widows are subjected to in Nigeria, something he is expected to use his influence as an enlightened academic of global repute to wage war against. A prominent Nigerian in the south-eastern part of the country, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, passed away exactly this time last year. When his will was read last month, he allegedly willed some properties to his young widow, Frances Chinonyerem Enwerem, with a caveat—she will forfeit all the assets if she remarries another man.
Just imagine Kperogi now coming out to claim they had been divorced before the man passed away. I am sure the family will just use that as a perfect excuse to kick the young widow and her children out and take control of the properties. While nobody can try that with a prominent woman like Aisha Buhari, that is the plight of many widows in Nigeria today. Immediately a man dies, all manner of elders and relatives will come from the village, accuse the woman of being responsible for his death, or claim they were divorced and subject her to all forms of inhuman treatment, all in a bid to hijack the assets left behind by the deceased.
Public intellectuals and columnists should exercise prudence when engaging with personal lives—even those of public figures like Aisha Buhari. The right to freedom of speech carries a corresponding duty: to avoid magnifying rumour as truth or treating sensitive personal matters as fodder for sensationalism. Kperogi’s apology affirmed Aisha Buhari’s authority to define her own truth—wisdom that should guide future discourse. Public commentary should never come at the expense of respect, verifiability, or dignity.
While she and her children continue to mourn their beloved patriarch, I implore Aisha Buhari to accept Kperogi’s apology, as they appear genuine. The Kperogi I know is not a sadist who delights in seeing others suffer. I sincerely hope he will weigh his public speeches, articles, and actions in the future and only dwell on issues that will advance the cause of humanity, hold leaders accountable, and ultimately unite Nigerians.
Akinsuyi, former group politics editor of the Daily Independent, writes from Abuja. He can be reached at shabydayo@gmail.com
