According to SaharaReporters, there was growing concern over the apparent determination of the president’s wife, Aisha Buhari, to transform herself into a politically powerful spouse, in defiance of her husband’s wishes.
Two sources remarked that President Buhari had ordered that his wife should not be officially addressed as “First Lady,” adding, however, that Mrs. Buhari has been operating as one.
During his campaign for the Presidency, Mr. Buhari had indicated that he would ensure that his wife did not assume a formal public and visible role as First Lady.
However, SR’s two sources alleged that the incumbent president’s wife seemed determined to build herself into a First Lady in the mold of her three past predecessors.
She was reportedly in a haste to move into Aso Rock Villa, and ended up relocating to the President’s official residence three days before her husband moved in. One source said she brought along to Aso Rock three powerful friends who have been running her office as though she has an official title.
The three women are former Senator Pauline Tallen from Plateau State, Fatimat Abubakar, a wife of former Vice President Abubakar Atiku, and a former Minister of Women Affairs, Hajia Hajo Sani.
SR noted that other source disclosed that the activities of his wife’s three friends had become a cause for concern for President Buhari. “Mr. President is a simple man by nature. He still doesn’t want his wife, Mrs. Aisha Buhari, to begin to play the kind of role that First Lady Mrs. Patience Jonathan played,” he said.
Last week, President Buhari reportedly ordered agents of the State Security Services (SSS) to arrest his wife’s brother, Musa Yola, for allegedly defrauding a businessman of N300 million in exchange for securing an oil bloc for his dupe. (SR).