African first ladies who were neck-deep in their husband’s affairs and got into trouble

Aisha Buhari

Aisha Buhari is the wife of the President of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari who has been in office since 2015.

The first lady of Nigeria is a steadfast advocate of women’s and children’s rights. She is also known for her dislike and public outspokenness against homosexuality.

Nonetheless, her most prominent faux pas was openly criticizing her husband’s style of leadership during an interview with the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) in 2016.

In the interview, Aisha claims that the President hardly knows the majority of the government appointees in his administration.

“The president does not know 45 out of 50 of the people he appointed and I don’t know them either, despite being his wife of 27 years,” she explained.

Aisha also spoke out about her husband’s decision to appoint people who were not part of his campaign, saying, “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.”

During the interview, she warned that if things stayed the same with her husband’s administration, she would consider withdrawing political support for him if he decides to seek re-election.

By chance, Aisha’s interview aired just as President Buhari flew out of Nigeria to visit with Germany’s Chancellor, Angela Merkel. While in Germany, members of the press approached President Buhari, asking for his thoughts on his wife’s stinging comments.

While answering, President Buhari chuckled before saying, “I don’t know which party my wife belongs to, but she belongs to my kitchen and my living room and the other room.”

However, his response only succeeded in offending more people and extending the media’s coverage of an issue he badly wants to put to bed. His comments have been described as misogynistic, demeaning, and symptomatic of a repressive era, where women were meant to be seen and not heard.