United States-based Nigerian journalism professor, Farooq Kperogi, has issued a public apology and retracted his earlier claim that the late President Muhammadu Buhari had divorced his wife, Aisha Buhari, before his death on July 13, 2025.
The retraction, reported by TheCable on Sunday, July 20, followed Kperogi’s controversial Facebook post on July 16, in which he alleged that the former first lady had reverted to her maiden name, Halilu, and had not returned to Daura with Buhari after his tenure ended in 2023.
Kperogi also in the Facebook post, further suggested that Aisha only traveled to London to care for the ailing former president after “intense persuasion,” implying that the couple had been estranged prior to Buhari’s death.
The post drew widespread attention and backlash, prompting reactions from close associates of the former first family.
In a new statement issued on Saturday, Kperogi expressed deep remorse, describing the post as one of the most regrettable misjudgments of his career.
“Although I absolutely should have foreseen it, 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 people closest to her,” he wrote.
“It’s one of the worst and cruellest lapses of judgment I have ever committed in my life,” he added.
Kperogi revealed that he was contacted by Sani Zorro, a former media aide to Aisha Buhari, who challenged the accuracy of the claims and relayed the former first lady’s official position, that her marriage to Buhari remained intact until his death.
Though Kperogi stood by the integrity of his unnamed source, he admitted that the former first lady has the final say on her marital relationship and that her account must be respected.
“My source, whose integrity is unimpeachable, insists the information is accurate but never intended for it to become public,” Kperogi stated.
President Muhammadu Buhari, Nigeria’s former military ruler and two-term civilian president, died on July 13, 2025, at the age of 82 in a London clinic, where he had reportedly been receiving treatment. His passing prompted an outpouring of tributes across the country and abroad, with many reflecting on his controversial yet consequential legacy in Nigerian political history.
Aisha Buhari, who served as first lady during Buhari’s presidency from 2015 to 2023, had kept a relatively low profile in the final years of her husband’s administration. Public speculation about the state of her relationship with Buhari had circulated intermittently but had never been officially confirmed.
Kperogi, known for his often critical commentary on Nigerian politics and governance, has a significant social media following, which made his July 16 post particularly impactful.
