L-R: Ekpere, Buhari and Aisha
Efio-Ita Nyok|19 October 2016
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'.
—Mrs Aisha Buhari
Wife of President Muhammadu Buhari
BBC Hausa
14 October 2016.
'I don’t know which party my wife belongs to, but she belongs to my kitchen and my living room and the other room.'
—President Muhammadu Buhari
Germany
14 October 2016.
The preceding arguments are credited accordingly to President Buhari and his wife, Aisha.
President Buhari’s statement alleging that his wife belongs to his kitchen, living room and the other room has been dismissed as demeaning against his wife, Aisha and by extension women generally. Again, Aisha Buhari's public statement has incited a lot of criticisms from a section of Cross Riverians especially those who question the true Muslim in Aisha. However, Aisha Buhari's legal aide, our own cerebral Ikom-born Mary Ekpere has risen to the aide of her principal. As usual Ekpere saw Aisha's action from a feminist point of view. She proceeded to demonstrate how the statements credited to the embattled wife of the President constitute 'nothing but a tactical PR for her husband'. She made her position known yesterday through her social media account and her defense reads in part:
'Aisha's interview is nothing but a tactical PR for her husband. It showcased him as he once described himself, that he "belongs to everybody…" All that she said, projected to be a criticism of her husband, only portrayed a favorable image of the man.
'It is not an issue that will bring discord between the two except to those willing and wishing the First Family a turbulent period in the Villa which they will never see. They have been together all along with kids and there was never a time when any of them abandoned one another for one reason or the other', Ekpere continued.
'Therefore, for Aisha to muster so much gust to air what lots felt is impossible has testified that her husband is indeed free with her and has given her all the freedom of expression. If you cannot find your wife in the Kitchen or the Bed Room, then she is either in the Bar, Nightclub, Brothel or on the streets', she concluded.
In her earlier remark, Ekpere Rose to the defense of President Buhari’s statement which obviously condemns his wife to his kitchen, living room and the other room. This is how she phrases her defense:
'I watched an interview with Orji Kalu on AIT and he made this statement that "Deviating from our cultural values is the cause of our problems". You don’t expect an average Hausa man to openly show love and concern in the open'.
This line about 'tactical PR' which Ekpere makes mention of is troubling: is President Muhammadu Buhari speaking through Aisha his vocal wife as one Barr. Joseph Odok alleges? Or, is Aisha Buhari being prop up for elective position come 2019 as one international development consultant, Princewill Odidi, observes?
Whatever, but certainly Aisha is not acting devoid of the blessing of a superior nod; she is certainly playing out a script. Nigerians shouldn't fool themselves.
Efio-Ita Nyok
Is the Publisher & Editor of NegroidHaven.org
