By Abdul Lauya
Prominent Nigerian academic and columnist, Professor Farooq Kperogi, has issued a public apology to former First Lady, Mrs. Aisha Buhari, over a controversial Facebook post he made on July 16, which suggested she was divorced from the late President Muhammadu Buhari before his death.
The post, titled “Aisha Buhari, Divorce, and Forgiveness Claim,” sparked widespread debate, implying that the former First Lady had separated from her husband and reverted to her maiden name, Halilu.
However, following backlash and direct engagement from close associates of the former First Lady, Kperogi retracted the claim and admitted it was a grave error in judgment.
In a statement published on his blog and Facebook page on Sunday, July 20, Kperogi described the post as “one of the worst and cruelest lapses of judgment” in his life.
He acknowledged that while the information came from a source he deemed credible, it should never have been made public.
“Not every well-sourced information is for public consumption,” he admitted. “The truth of this information is now far less significant than the hurt my disclosure of it has caused.”
Alhaji Sani Zorro, former Special Adviser to the First Lady on Public Affairs, reportedly contacted Kperogi to challenge the accuracy of the claim and to affirm, on Mrs. Buhari’s behalf, that her marriage remained intact until President Buhari’s death.
Kperogi said he accepted Mrs. Buhari’s version and emphasized that “her truth should be respected as supreme.”
He further clarified that there was no malice or external influence behind his original post and expressed deep remorse for the emotional distress it caused.
“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 concluded.
The retraction comes amid broader debates on the responsibilities of public commentators and the ethical limits of social media disclosures, especially concerning private matters involving national figures.
