Nigerian journalism professor and public affairs analyst, Farooq Kperogi, has issued an unreserved apology to former First Lady Aisha Buhari, following a controversial post in which he claimed she had divorced the late President Muhammadu Buhari before his death.
In a lengthy statement released Sunday and titled “Apology to Aisha Buhari,” Mr 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.
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“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,” Mr Kperogi wrote. “It’s one of the worst and cruelest 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.”
He disclosed that the 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.
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“My source, whose integrity is unimpeachable, insists the information is accurate, but never intended for it to become public. Going public with the information was an error on my part, as not every well-sourced information is for public consumption,” he explained.
Mr Kperogi 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 Mrs. Buhari’s position that her marriage remained intact until President Buhari’s death.
“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,” he said. “After all, as the late MKO Abiola memorably said, no one can give you a haircut in your absence.”
Mr Kperogi acknowledged that Aisha Buhari has the sole authority to speak to the reality of her marriage, regardless of what may have been reported or believed by others.
“Clearly, Mrs. Buhari herself has the ultimate authority and right to define the status of her marriage with her late husband. Her truth should be respected as supreme, whatever other facts may exist,” he wrote.
While reiterating his belief that the information he received was reliable, Mr Kperogi admitted that the emotional harm it caused far outweighed the importance of the claim.
“Moreover, the truth of this information is now far less significant than the hurt my disclosure of it has caused. 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 insisted that he did not act out of any personal malice or political influence.
“I realize 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.”
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In conclusion, Mr Kperogi expressed heartfelt remorse for the publication and offered a direct apology to Mrs. Buhari.
“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,” he wrote.
The apology follows days of public debate and criticism over Mr Kperogi’s initial post, which some observers had described as speculative and insensitive. His retraction appears aimed at putting the matter to rest and repairing relations with the former First Lady and her family.
