Farooq Kperogi, a prominent columnist and media scholar, has publicly apologized to Nigeria’s former First Lady, Aisha Buhari, for a Facebook post in which he suggested that her marriage had ended before the death of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
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In a statement titled “Apology to Aisha Buhari,” Kperogi admitted that publishing the July 16 post titled “Aisha Buhari, Divorce, and Forgiveness Claim” was a serious misjudgment that caused emotional distress to Mrs. Buhari and those close to her.
He described the episode as “one of the worst and cruelest lapses of judgment” in his life and said he had been deeply troubled by the consequences of his action.
According to Kperogi, the information came from a source he considered credible but who never intended for it to be made public. “Going public with the information was an error on my part, as not every well-sourced information is for public consumption,” he wrote.
He also acknowledged being contacted by Alhaji Sani Zorro, a former Senior Special Assistant to the First Lady on Public Affairs, who questioned the accuracy of the claim and conveyed Mrs. Buhari’s position that her marriage remained intact.
Kperogi said he fully accepted Mrs. Buhari’s account, writing, “Her truth should be respected as supreme, whatever other facts may exist.”
He emphasized that the damage caused by the post outweighed any argument about its accuracy. “I shouldn’t have shared it publicly. Period,” he said, adding that the post violated the ethical standards he tries to uphold.
“I sincerely did not intend to harm Mrs. Buhari or execute any personal vendetta,” he said.
Kperogi ended his statement with a direct and heartfelt 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.”
