Aisha’s BBC Interview – She Got It All Wrong, My Respect For PMB Just Soars

We’ve all been inundated by the interview granted BBC by the president’s wife which revealed personal and political happenings within the household of the Buharis. In response to the interview, we’ve also heard the president remark that his wife belongs in his kitchen and other rooms in his house. Without mincing words, I make bold to say that the president’s wife has lost much of the respect she used to command by her act and has made a bad situation far worse. On the other hand, the revelation has made my love for the president to increase.

Prior to the election of March 2015, GMB, as he was known then, made unambiguous statement on several occasions that “there won’t be an Office of the First Lady” if he became president. Majority of Nigerians applauded the statement on the strength of what past First Ladies had caused the country. We know of First Ladies who practically ordered appointed ministers around. We saw a First Lady embarrass a sitting governor. We saw many First Ladies having their own multitude of staff. The past First Ladies used to have budget drawn out for their office even though the Constitution of Nigeria has no recognition for such. These are only a few of many anomalies that were done in the name of Office of the First Lady. So, when PMB made the statement then, he clearly wanted to depart from that culture of impunity and Nigerians loved him for it.

In the said interview, Aisha clearly expressed frustrations at not having undue influence on the man appointed by Nigerians to do a job. She obviously is not having enough say on how ministers, DGs and other top government officials are appointed and this has disappointment her a great deal. Just like the Lagos Assembly shamelessly revealed their frustration about PMB not consulting with Tinubu on appointments, Aisha thought it right to express similar frustration but in the worst possible manner.

Let's Examine Key Statements of Her Interview:
1. "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."

This clearly shows Aisha’s disposition to have undue influence on appointments. If not, why does the president need to know those who work for him or the country? What is important is those people’s qualifications and ability to do the job. Why should the appointees be known to Aisha on the strength of being the president’s wife of 27 years? This statement by the president’s wife reveals a lot about why/how the past First Ladies and their husbands appointed incompetent political jobbers to positions.

2. "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."

If anything, this is a positive on the part of the president. This simply means “no one needs to lobby for an appointment under Buhari once they’re qualified to do the job”. Won’t any reasonable being love the man?

3. "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."

This is about the most ridiculous of all her statements! It smells arrogance and pompousness. Who makes who? Who is known in the political arena? It is because of Muhammadu Buhari that we got to know Aisha Buhari. It is Muhammadu Buhari that’s the politician and not Aisha Buhari. Buhari won the last election not because his Aisha was on the campaign train even though she might have swayed a few voters. In fact, report had it that PMB was reluctant to allow Aisha join the campaign train but for Tinubu’s intervention. So, it is overestimation of her contribution to her husband’s success at the polls to make this statement because she has no political structure or clout to wield such influence.

As I said earlier, PMB by this development has earned further respect from me and many like me. He has proved over and over that he cannot be dictated to whether you are a Tinubu, Obasanjo or even the person who many would have thought could be used to get him – Aisha his wife and mother of four of his children. PMB has once again proved to be a man of principle and high moral standards! This is the kind of leader Nigeria needs to get out of the mess bestowed on us by undue interference from those close to past presidents.

PMB’s “Aisha Belongs to My Kitchen” Comment
As unnecessary as the response from the president might seem, one has to put himself in a position of a man, the president of the most populous black nation on earth, whose wife has become rebellious and a political foe (frenemy sort of) ready to crash the castle built over many years. I must even commend him for finding the strength to beam with laughter when answering question on his wife’s interview.
The president’s comment at that time couldn’t have been better worded to a wife who behaved with arrogance and insubordination. To make it clear to the bigots and hypocrites, a wife’s primary place is in the kitchen and her husband’s home. Any and every other duty is secondary to that.

Yes, our wives are educated, work and participate in governance and Aisha Buhari’s case is no different as she’s known to have been educated by the same man she’s trying hard to destroy now. We all know Aisha had a beauty salon/spa and a few other businesses before PMB became president. PMB has appointed a few women into high position in his administration. We also know that his daughters are educated. Clearly, all these are a proof that the president is not someone who does not believe in women’s ability to be equal to that of men in every aspect of life.
However, if a woman thinks she has a right to have undue and unwanted influence in a man’s job/life, there is nothing wrong in putting such women where they primarily belong - the kitchen and other rooms.

What Aisha did is capable of ruining her marriage and she will be the ultimate loser at the end of it. If that happens, all those urging her on will not be there to console her or offer any help. I could have asked her to ask PMB’s first wife (Safinatu of blessed memory) if she regretted accepting money from IBB who was holding her husband in a cell. Surely, she must have regretted her action one way or the other.