Femi Adesina, former Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the late President Muhammadu Buhari, has disclosed that the former First Lady, Aisha Buhari, was with her husband as recently as March 2025 just weeks before his death in London.
Adesina, who served as Buhari’s spokesperson throughout his presidency from 2015 to 2023, made the revelation in a heartfelt tribute to the late president.
His comments aim to quell growing speculation and rumours surrounding the state of Buhari’s marriage in his final months.
“During Ramadan, I joined him for dinner. The former First Lady, Aisha, was around and offered me some roasted meat suya,” Adesina wrote.
“Less than two weeks later, he travelled to London for what was said to be a routine medical trip. It lasted almost four months and he never returned, at least not alive.”
The statement comes in direct response to claims made by Professor Farooq Kperogi, a U.S.-based Nigerian academic and media scholar.
In an article published shortly after Buhari’s passing, Kperogi alleged that Aisha Buhari had long separated from her husband, reverted to her maiden name, Halilu, and was no longer part of the former president’s domestic life.
“Buhari was also alone when he later relocated to Kaduna, in fact, when he fell ill and it was suggested that Aisha travel to London to care for him, she reportedly hesitated because she was no longer his wife,” Kperogi asserted.
The allegations sparked a wave of speculation across social media and the Nigerian press, prompting questions about the personal circumstances surrounding the late president’s final days.
Reports of Aisha Buhari distancing herself from public functions and adopting the name “Aisha Halilu” added fuel to the fire.
However, Adesina’s recent account suggests otherwise. He stated clearly that Aisha was with the former president in Kaduna the location of Buhari’s final stay in Nigeria before his last journey to the United Kingdom for medical treatment.
This clarification comes as part of broader tributes and retrospectives following Buhari’s death in June 2025. The former president passed away in London after a prolonged medical stay, aged 82.
His health had been a recurring concern during his tenure, with several extended medical trips to the UK during his presidency.
Aisha Buhari, who had served as Nigeria’s First Lady from 2015 to 2023, has yet to publicly address the rumours or comment on her late husband’s passing beyond an initial condolence statement released through her media office.
The couple, who married in 1989, have five children together and were seen as a political and religious power couple throughout Buhari’s presidency.
