Renowned journalist and academic, Farooq Kperogi, has publicly retracted his earlier claim that former President Muhammadu Buhari and his wife, Aisha Buhari, were divorced before the president’s death.
Kperogi, who made the controversial assertion in a now-viral Facebook post on July 16, admitted that sharing the information was an error in judgment.
He acknowledged that the claim was not only inaccurate, but also deeply hurtful to the former First Lady and those close to her.
“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 said.He explained that the information came from a trusted source, but emphasized that not all well-sourced information is meant for public disclosure.
He also mentioned that Alhaji Sani Zorro, a former aide to Mrs. Buhari, reached out to challenge the accuracy of the claim and conveyed the First Lady’s firm denial.
Kperogi stressed that Mrs. Aisha Buhari has the sole right to define the state of her marriage, especially given that her husband is no longer alive to confirm or deny the matter.
“Her truth should be respected as supreme, whatever other facts may exist,” he added.
He concluded by offering a heartfelt and unreserved 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.
”The incident has sparked conversations on journalistic responsibility and the ethics of sharing sensitive personal information, particularly about public figures.
