Aisha Buhari Speaks Out On Her Reaction To Buhari’s Controversial ‘Other Room’ Remark

Former First Lady, Aisha Buhari, has spoken openly about the controversial “other room” comment once made by her late husband, former President Muhammadu Buhari, describing it as a joke that was misunderstood because of the setting in which it was delivered.

According to Ireporter Online, Aisha Buhari shared her perspective in a newly released biography titled From Soldier to Statesman: The Legacy of Muhammadu Buhari, written by Dr Charles Omole. She explained that while the remark was meant humorously between her and her husband, it was ill-timed and inappropriate for a public, international forum.

The biography, a 600-page publication spanning 22 chapters, was unveiled on Monday at the State House in Abuja. It traces the life and legacy of the former president, from his childhood in Daura, Katsina State, to his passing in a London hospital in July 2025.

The controversial statement was made in October 2016 during a press conference in Berlin, Germany, where Buhari, standing alongside then German Chancellor Angela Merkel, responded to his wife’s public criticism of his administration by saying she belonged to his kitchen, living room, and “the other room.” The comment followed an earlier BBC Hausa interview in which Aisha Buhari questioned certain political appointments and policies of her husband’s government.

The remark quickly attracted global condemnation, igniting debates across international media on gender equality, leadership conduct, and women’s roles in governance.

Dr Omole, in the biography, noted that Aisha Buhari interpreted the statement through her understanding of her husband’s characteristic gallows humour. He wrote that she acknowledged joking about it privately with him but admitted that it was made in the wrong place and context. The author further observed that irony often loses its meaning on the global stage, adding that the former First Lady was repeatedly compelled to clarify the comment to international counterparts who viewed it as indicative of Nigeria’s stance on women’s rights.

Despite the controversy, the book portrays Aisha Buhari as a woman confident in her place in political discourse. While she and her husband reportedly disagreed at times over governance and national direction, there was no dispute about her presence in spaces where power and decisions were shaped, as she asserted herself without hesitation.