There are indications that Aisha Buhari, Nigeria’s First lady and wife of President Muhammadu Buhari, might have temporarily relocated to London, the United Kingdom over a purported crack in the Presidency.
A Daily Trust report says the First Lady has been out of the country for about two months now, raising concerns at the Presidential Villa.
It was learned that the president’s wife left the country in protest against “certain developments” at the presidency.
Multiple sources at the presidential villa said Mrs. Buhari, who left the country early August to Saudi Arabia to perform hajj (Muslim pilgrimage), has not returned to the country.
Muslims who participated in the hajj exercise, have since returned home, but credible sources at the Presidential Villa told Daily Trust that the president’s wife has since left Saudi Arabia for London.
“Mama (first lady) is in London. It was from Saudi Arabia that she went to London,” one source told Daily Trust.
Asked when she is likely to return, the source said, “I don’t know. All I know is that she is in London.”
Aisha Buhari’s absence became obvious after she did not appear alongside her husband at some recent official functions, followed by the way she was conspicuously absent during the Eid-El-Kabir celebration in Daura, Katsina State.
President Buhari hosted many dignitaries including Guinean president, Alpha Conde, during the Sallah celebrations.
The First Lady in early July, supported her husband to host the Ambassador Extraordinary for Nigeria-Niger Cooperation, together with his wife, Fatima at the State House.
It has been observed that recently, at public events, Dr. Hajo Sani, the Senior Special Assistant to the president on administration, has been representing the president’s wife.
Daily Trust reports that for instance, on September 25, the First Lady was represented at an event of the Organization of African First Ladies for Development (OAFLAD), on the sidelines of the 74th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), New York by Dr. Hajo.
According to a statement from the Director of Information to Aisha Buhari, the event was attended by first ladies of Zimbabwe, Sierra Leone, Uganda, and the Niger Republic while President Buhari was one of the world leaders that attended the 74th UNGA.
However, checks on the First Lady’s Twitter handle @aishambuhari showed that she has remained active on the social media platform, as only six days ago she retweeted a post on the war against corruption.
The report said efforts to get the reaction of her media aide, Suleiman Haruna, yielded no result, adding that a text message that reads: “In months, her excellency has been out of public glare, locally and abroad. She’s being represented by aides. Where is she?” was sent to him twice. It was first sent on Tuesday and Friday.
The same text message was sent to a presidential spokesperson, Garba Shehu, yesterday, who replied that her spokesperson should be contacted.
