Farooq Kperogi Claims Aisha Buhari Was Divorced from Late President Buhari Before His Death

US-based professor and public affairs analyst Farooq Kperogi has claimed that former First Lady Aisha Buhari was no longer married to late President Muhammadu Buhari before his passing.

Kperogi, a journalism professor at Kennesaw State University, made the assertion on Wednesday via a post on his verified Facebook page.

“They Were No Longer Married” — Kperogi

Reacting to a widely circulated quote allegedly from Aisha Buhari — in which she supposedly said her husband asked her to seek forgiveness from Nigerians on his behalf — Kperogi cast doubt on the authenticity of the quote and dropped a bombshell.

“I can’t confirm the authenticity of that claim,” Kperogi wrote, “but what I do know is that before Buhari’s death, he and Aisha were no longer married.”

He went on to allege that Aisha had reverted to her maiden name, Aisha Halilu, prior to the former president’s passing.

Kperogi pointed to several clues that suggest a separation had occurred long before Buhari’s death:

• Aisha reportedly did not join Buhari in Daura after he left office.
• When Buhari later moved to Kaduna, he was said to be living alone.
• During a critical phase of Buhari’s illness, Aisha allegedly hesitated to travel to London to care for him — citing the fact that she was no longer his wife. She only agreed to go shortly before his death, after what Kperogi described as “intense persuasion.”

He added that even in mourning, Aisha appeared “understandably conflicted about her role.”

Kperogi questioned the origin of the quote attributed to Aisha about Buhari’s request for national forgiveness:

“So, I’m genuinely curious to know when and where Buhari told her to beg Nigerians for forgiveness. Where did she even say this?” he asked.

While Aisha Buhari was publicly married to Muhammadu Buhari from 1989, cracks in the marriage had surfaced over the years.

In 2019 it was  reported that the First Lady had been out of Nigeria for nearly two months, raising concerns within the Presidential Villa.

Sources claimed she left in protest over “certain developments” within the presidency. After attending Hajj in Saudi Arabia, she reportedly stayed on in London and did not return with other pilgrims.

Despite the alleged estrangement, Aisha was visibly emotional at Buhari’s burial in Daura, Katsina State, where she was seen being consoled by several dignitaries, including Nigeria’s current First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu.

The couple had five children together over the course of their decades-long marriage.