• She Is Broken And In Tears, Says One Official
By Our Reporter
At least two senior officials who served under former President Muhammadu Buhari have cast doubt on a widely circulated report claiming that Aisha Buhari, wife of the late president, relayed a posthumous message asking Nigerians to forgive her husband.
The alleged statement, which has gone viral on social media and some blogs, quotes Mrs. Buhari as saying that the former president repeatedly asked her to beg Nigerians for forgiveness in the event of his death. According to the report, she said: “He always reminded me that he was only human, capable of both good and mistakes. That’s why I’m here today, begging all Nigerians to please forgive him before he is finally laid to rest.”
However, two former senior officials of the Buhari administration, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Keeping Them Honest Daily that they were unaware of any such message and noted that Mrs. Buhari has not issued any formal statement regarding her husband’s death.
“There has been no official word from Her Excellency, in fact she is right now so broken and in tears and to the best of my knowledge, not in a position to make any such remarks, publicly or privately,” one of the officials said.
Another high-ranking aide described the viral message as “likely fabricated,” emphasizing that in moments of national mourning, “unconfirmed emotional claims tend to spread quickly, often without basis.”
A review of public records supports their position. As of press time, no major news outlet has published a verified statement from Aisha Buhari since the former president’s passing. Additionally, the quote attributed to her does not appear in any known speech or media interaction.
What is publicly documented is that in late 2022, while her husband was still in office, Mrs. Buhari appealed to Nigerians to forgive the administration for any shortcomings. During a public prayer session in Abuja, she said: “We must apologise to Nigerians and seek forgiveness… we have made our contributions, and God will forgive us.” However, that comment was not framed as a personal message from President Buhari.
President Muhammadu Buhari, who led Nigeria from 2015 to 2023, died yesterday in London from yet undisclosed causes.