.png)
5 hours ago
2
Professor Farooq Kperogi, a scholar of journalism and emerging media at Kennesaw State University, has publicly apologized to former First Lady Aisha Buhari over his recent claim that she was no longer married to the late former President Muhammadu Buhari.
In a heartfelt Facebook post on Sunday, July 20, Kperogi retracted his earlier statement and described his action as a serious personal and professional misstep.
“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,” he wrote.
The apology follows backlash over a July 16 Facebook post, in which Kperogi alleged that the former First Lady had divorced President Buhari, reverted to her maiden name Halilu, and had been unwilling to care for him during his final illness.
In his retraction, the U.S.-based professor admitted that although his claim was based on information from what he considered a “highly trusted source,” he now realizes that going public with such sensitive material was a grave misjudgment.
Read also: No court order mandates Natasha’s return — Senate warns suspended lawmaker to respect due process
“Going public with the information was an error on my part, as not every well-sourced information is for public consumption,” he stated.
Kperogi credited Alhaji Sani Zorro, a former aide to Mrs. Buhari and someone he “respects deeply,” with prompting him to reassess and ultimately retract his statements. He acknowledged that Mrs. Buhari alone has the right to define the status of her marriage, regardless of outside interpretations.
“Mrs. Buhari herself has the ultimate authority and right to define the status of her marriage… Her truth should be respected as supreme, whatever other facts may exist,” he added.
While emphasizing that he acted without ill intent, Kperogi admitted that his actions violated his own ethical standards and caused unnecessary harm.
“I shouldn’t have shared it publicly. Period. Doing so violated every moral and ethical principle I cherish and uphold,” he said.
He described the episode as “one of the worst and cruelest lapses of judgment” in his career and said it had brought him “immense personal anguish.”
The apology has drawn reactions across social media, with many commending the professor for acknowledging his error, even as the controversy continues to stir public conversation around media responsibility and personal privacy.
The post Kperogi issues public apology to Aisha Buhari over divorce claim: “It was a cruel lapse in judgment” appeared first on Latest Nigeria News | Top Stories from Ripples Nigeria.
