Read the Full Text of Aisha Buhari’s Interview with BBC Hausa

Aisha Buhari

The full text of the interview of wife of the president, Aisha Buhari, by BBC Hausa Service has been released.

Aisha had alleged that few people in President Buhari‘s administration have hijacked power, while neglecting people that work for his success.

Read below:

BBC Hausa: People have goodwill towards President Muhammadu Buhari, especially looking at the things he did before, but since coming into power things have not been working the way they should, what do you think is the cause?

Aisha Buhari: I am not a government official, but in my opinion as a woman, and a mother, I think it is well known that the first 4 years are not going to be easy. Firstly, it was people that brought the government into power. More than half of those people were not appointed into the government. Some people that are not politicians nor professionals were brought into the government. They don’t even know what we said we want and what we don’t during the campaign. They even come out to say they are not politicians but are occupying the offices meant for politicians. Some have parted with their wives, some lost their children, some women too have parted with their husbands because of politics. A lot happened during the time. The way things are going I am not happy. We are just starting, we have not finished. Some people that worked for the government have been appointed, but among those heading government agencies, one is fighting his state governor. They contested together during elections, one in APC while the other in PDP.

BBC Hausa: Who are those doing these things?

Aisha Buhari: Everybody knows them. Those people should know that people voted singly. Even Buhari too had one vote. Nobody voted 5 times. 15.4 million people voted for this govenment. I am pleading to them to have the people at heart and embrace everybody so that we can all move together.

Even now in 2016 or 2017, lots of people are creating divisions within the APC, which is our source of concern. They have worked for the government but among those appointed, some of them had no voter’s card. What I fear is the uprising of 15.4 million people.

BBC Hausa: Is the President aware some people are subverting his government?

Aisha Buhari: Whether he knows or he does not, those that voted for him know.

BBC Hausa: But you are the closest to him, did you tell him?

Aisha Buhari: There is nothing I can tell him, he is seeing things himself. If you take 50 persons out of the people he has appointed, I don’t know 45 of them. Perhaps he doesn’t know them too. I have been living with him for 27 years.

BBC Hausa: Do you think there are some people that are dictating to the President things to do?

Aisha Buhari: That is what I am saying, those that know they don’t have voter’s card, they should give chance to those that have, they are the ones that struggled and know what we want to do.

BBC Hausa: You say some people have hijacked the government without him knowing, who do you think are those people?

Aisha Buhari: I don’t know them, I don’t know them. I don’t know them.

BBC Hausa: But some people are calling names, saying 2 or 3 are the ones, do you think that as well?

Aisha Buhari: Yes, I agree. Because those appointed apart from Fashola, Ameachi and some others, I don’t know them. Most of us too don’t know them, and he too does not know them.

BBC Hausa: Knowing Buhari as a person who has had leadership experiences, people would not believe that he’s not the one in charge.

Aisha Buhari: Yes it is surprising; nobody thought it was going to be like this. But now it is so. Sometimes when one is doing something wrong without him knowing, he/she should listen when people talk to them. Because in the future, whether he is going to contest or not, it is that same people that would vote for APC.

BBC Hausa: You said “Whether he is going to contest in the future or not”, has he disclosed it to you that he will be contesting or not?

Aisha Buhari: He didn’t tell me, but I have made up my mind.

Watch the full interview HERE.