Nigeria’s first lady, Aisha Buhari, has explained that the 2016 interview she granted BBC which was considered to be critical of her husband’s administration was based on her sense of justice.
She said the interview was not meant to be confrontational or a sign of disrespect.
Mrs. Buhari made the clarification in a message she sent to the 2017 Vanguard Awards where she was honoured as Vanguard Personality of the Year 2017.
A copy of the message of the President’s wife who was represented at the event by one of her daughters, Halima, was made available to journalists on Sunday by her spokesman, Suleiman Haruna.
Mrs. Buhari said she was brought up to stand by the truth and that was how she has been living her life.
She said Nigerians elected her husband based on the trust and confidence they have in him and she felt the administration must serve Nigeria to the best of its ability.
The President’s wife said, “I wish to thank the management of Vanguard Media Limited for this unexpected award, in recognition of my humanitarian efforts towards improving the health and welfare of Nigerians particularly women, children and less privileged.
“One of the reasons adduced for honouring me was the interview I granted which some people saw as criticism to a government that I am part of.
“I need to state that my position was a result of my sense of justice and not confrontation or disrespect. I was brought up to stand by the truth and this is how I have always been.
“As we are all aware, Nigerians elected this administration based on the trust and confidence they have on my husband; I, therefore, feel that we are here to serve Nigeria to the best of our ability.
“Let me use this opportunity to state that I support my husband in this call to service and will continue to do so.
“On this note, I hereby dedicate this award to the people of Nigeria, especially women. Thank you sincerely for this award.”
Mrs. Buhari had in the 2016 interview with BBC warned her husband that she might not back him at the 2019 election unless he shakes up his government.
She has claimed that the President did not know most of the top officials he appointed.
She had said, “The President does not know 45 out of 50, for example, of the people he appointed and I don’t know them either, despite being his wife of 27 years.
“Some people are sitting down in their homes folding their arms only for them to be called to come and head an agency or a ministerial position.”
In the BBC interview, the Mrs. Buhari refused to name those who had hijacked the government, saying, “You will know them if you watch television.”
On whether the President was in charge, she said, “That is left for the people to decide.”
Mrs. Buhari had also said her husband had not told her whether he would contest the 2019 election as of the time of the interview.
She had said, “He is yet to tell me but I have decided, as his wife, that if things continue like this up to 2019, I will not go out and campaign again and ask any woman to vote like I did before. I will never do it again.”
