Former presidential spokesman, Femi Adesina, has dismissed speculations that the late President Muhammadu Buhari and his wife, Aisha Buhari, were separated before his death.
Adesina, who served as Special Adviser on Media and Publicity from 2015 to 2023, revealed that Aisha was still with her husband as recently as March 2025—just weeks before Buhari’s final trip to London.
His statement comes amid ongoing rumours that the former First Lady had divorced Buhari and reverted to her maiden name, Halilu. The claim was widely circulated after a U.S.-based academic, Professor Farooq Kperogi, alleged that Aisha had separated from Buhari long before his passing.
Kperogi suggested that Aisha had moved out and was reluctant to travel to London to care for the ailing ex-president due to their alleged separation.
But Adesina, in a heartfelt tribute published this week, shared a personal encounter that contradicted the rumours.
“It was Ramadan, and I joined President Buhari for dinner at his Kaduna home,” Adesina wrote. “The former First Lady, Aisha, was there and even offered me some roasted meat (suya).”
He added that Buhari travelled to London less than two weeks later for a “routine medical trip,” which eventually lasted nearly four months and ended in his death in June 2025.
Adesina’s remarks aim to clarify the timeline and reassure Nigerians that the former First Lady stood by her husband in his final days.
President Buhari was 82 years old at the time of his death and had battled various health challenges throughout his presidency.