Academic, Farooq Kperogi, has retracted his earlier claim that the late President Muhammadu Buhari and his wife, Aisha Buhari, were divorced prior to the former president’s death.
Kperogi had made the assertion in a Facebook post on 16 July, which quickly went viral and drew sharp reactions. In a follow-up statement, he admitted that the claim was inaccurate and described sharing it as a serious lapse in judgment.
“I honestly didn’t anticipate the profoundly painful consequences… It’s one of the worst and cruelest lapses of judgment I have ever committed in my life,” he wrote.
He explained that the claim originated from a trusted source, but acknowledged that not all well-sourced information should be made public, especially when it concerns sensitive personal matters.
The journalist also disclosed that Alhaji Sani Zorro, a former aide to Mrs Buhari, contacted him to dispute the claim and conveyed the former First Lady’s strong denial.
Kperogi acknowledged that Mrs Aisha Buhari alone holds the moral authority to speak on the state of her marriage, particularly now that President Buhari is no longer alive to respond.
“Her truth should be respected as supreme, whatever other facts may exist,” he said.
He concluded his statement with an unreserved apology to the former First Lady:
“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.”
The episode has sparked renewed debate on the ethics of journalism and the responsibility of media professionals when handling personal matters involving public figures.
