The Imo State Governor, Chief Rochas Okorocha, on Sunday, said the interview granted by President Muhammadu Buhari’s wife, Aisha, to the British Broadcasting Corporation and the President’s reactions were both taken out of context.
He said rather than using the two cases as distraction, Nigerians should join hands to salvage the country, which he said was currently passing through recession.
The President’s wife had, in the interview with the BBC, alleged that her husband’s administration had been hijacked, adding that she would not campaign for his re-election in 2019 if the situation continued.
Answering questions during a joint press conference he had with German Chancellor, Angela Markel, during his three-day visit to Berlin, Buhari had said his wife did not belong to any political party but to his kitchen.
Okorocha, who was one of the governors who accompanied the President to Germany, told State House correspondents on Sunday that the statements of the President and his wife were jokes taken too far.
He said Mrs. Buhari’s interview was not meant to pull down the government but was meant to make peace among party members, who were complaining of not being carried along.
He added that the President’s reaction was also not meant to denigrate his wife or women generally, saying Buhari was smiling while responding to the question.
He said, “Our nation is passing through a trying moment now, very difficult times ranging from economic, security to political challenges.
“This is the time that all Nigerians, irrespective of political parties, religion or culture, must come together to see what we can do to salvage the situation and build a Nigeria of our collective hope and aspiration.
“This is what I want to exercise at this point. We do not need any form of distraction at this time. We should support the President to achieve the three key things. We have started seeing traces of light at the end of the tunnel.”
