One of our correspondents learnt on Wednesday that an interview Mrs Buhari granted some journalists on her return from the United Kingdom in October caused the latest crisis.

It was further learnt that as part of the arrangement, some aides of the President’s wife, based on her directive, told the journalists the questions they should ask her.

A source in the Presidency, who confided in our correspondent said, “You know that while she was away, a lot of things were happening . There was the news that her husband was about taking a new wife and there was also the video that went viral, with people claiming that she was locked up inside the Presidential Villa.

“So the woman was not comfortable with the fact that presidential spokesmen did not address the issues, so she wanted to clear the air on the issues herself.”

It was further learnt that as part of the arrangement, a reporter with Nigerian Television Authority was assigned the task of asking  a question relating to the viral video while another journalist was told to ask a question relating to the rumour of her husband’s planned wedding.

The source added, “Everything went according to the plan, the questions were asked and the President’s wife answered them without holding back anything.

“Shortly after the interview however, news got to those you like to call the cabal that the woman granted press interview on her arrival at the airport. The thrusts of the interview were also divulged to them.”

Cabal wanted NTA reporter sacked – Source

“It was at that point that presidential aides were called in to stop the interview. The interview was not only stopped at the NTA, the NTA reporter was also meant to be sacked for asking such a question.  His punishment was later reduced to a suspension.”

Meanwhile, Mrs Buhari waited endlessly to watch the interview on the television.

The source added, “It was when she asked around that she discovered that the cabal had succeeded in stopping the interview. Of course, she was visibly angry.

“I think it was after that, that her interview with BBC Hausa Service came up. That was the interview in which she accused Fatima, Daura’s daughter, of laughing at her because Buhari asked her father and his family to vacate the Glass House for his son, Yusuf.

Director of Information to the First Lady, Mr Suleiman Haruna, did not respond to the calls made to his telephone line on Wednesday evening.

In the BBC Hausa Service’s interview aired after the initial interview was stopped, Mrs Buhari had reacted to the viral video, saying, “I was the one in the video, those behind me were the security personnel given to protect me, but Mamman Daura’s daughter, Fatima, shot the video in the presence of security officials and everybody. She was laughing at me because my husband said they should vacate the place (Glass House) for my son to occupy.”

Fatima had also granted the medium a separate interview during which she admitted that she recorded the video that went viral to provide a proof for her parents and security officials about Mrs Buhari’s outburst during the encounter.

We have never had this kind of problem – Yakasai

Commenting on Mrs Buhari’s outburst, an elder statesman, Tanko Yakasai, said the crisis was a sad commentary about events within the Presidential Villa.

In an interview with one of our correspondents, in Abuja, Yakasai said, “It is not just a spat between the President’s wife and a presidential spokesman, it is something that goes beyond Garba Shehu.”

 

Punch