Farooq Kperogi, Journalist and academic has publicly retracted his earlier claim that the late former President Muhammadu Buhari and his wife, Aisha Buhari, were divorced prior to his death.
In a statement shared via his official Facebook page, Kperogi admitted that the claim, which garnered widespread attention, was incorrect and deeply regrettable. He offered an unreserved apology to Mrs. Aisha Buhari and others close to her for the pain caused by the publication.
“Apology to Aisha Buhari”
In a candid post titled “Apology to Aisha Buhari,” Kperogi described his initial publication as one of the most “painful lapses of judgment” in his career. He said he did not anticipate the extent of the distress his words would cause.
“Although I absolutely should have foreseen it, I honestly didn’t anticipate the profoundly painful consequences that my July 16 Facebook update titled ‘Aisha Buhari, Divorce, and Forgiveness Claim’ would have on former First Lady Mrs. Aisha Buhari and people closest to her,” Kperogi wrote.
While Kperogi stood by the integrity of his unnamed source, insisting the information came from a credible channel, he admitted that publishing the claim was a serious error in judgment.
“Not every well-sourced information is meant for public consumption. Going public with it was my mistake,” he said.
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He also acknowledged that Alhaji Sani Zorro, former Senior Special Assistant to the First Lady on Public Affairs, reached out to challenge the accuracy of the report and relayed Aisha Buhari’s position that her marriage remained intact until the former president’s passing.
“Clearly, Mrs. Buhari has the ultimate authority to define the status of her marriage. Her truth should be respected as supreme, whatever other facts may exist,” Kperogi added.
He further emphasized that the harm caused by the disclosure outweighed the relevance of the information itself.
“I shouldn’t have shared it publicly. Period. Doing so violated every moral and ethical principle I cherish and uphold,” he said, expressing remorse for the fallout.
In closing, Kperogi maintained that he acted without malice or external influence and extended a heartfelt 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 original post has since been taken down.
