Kukah replies Presidency: Aisha disagrees with Buhari’s policies

The Catholic Bishop of the Diocese of Sokoto, Matthew Kukah, has said that Aisha Buhari, the wife of President Muhammadu Buhari, also disagrees with the policies of her husband.

Kukah said he had nothing personal against President Buhari but his policies which had failed to move the country forward.

He said Buhari had failed woefully in the delivery of his job as President.

The Catholic Bishop expressed these positions in an interview on Arise TV on Tuesday.

Kukah spoke in reaction to the Presidency’s accusation that he hated the Muhammadu Buhari-led government.

The cleric had in his Easter messge lashed out at President Buhari over the spate of insecurity, corruption and other challenges bedevilling the country.

Kukah said the Federal Government had slid into hibernation mode, noting that several homes, churches, mosques, infrastructure, and educational system had been broken.

He added that politics, economy, and security had also been broken, saying only corruption was alive and well.

But Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, in a statement on Monday night, attacked Kukah for choosing the Easter period to play politics instead of using the time for renewal and for hope.

However, the Bishop on Tuesday, said: “All those saying I attacked the president, I have never attacked his person. All I have spoken about is his inability to manage diversities effectively and efficiently. I have studied diversity as a subject and I know what I am talking about.

“Those who think these things are personal would see that I have never talked about his person or character; I believe he is a gentleman but as far as being the president is concerned, he has done a bad job, even his wife has also disagreed with his policies.

“So, those guys should not sit in their air-conditioned office drinking coffee and think everything is honky-donkey. Let them disagree with the text of my message.”

Kukah added that he delivered his sermon to his congregation, noting that the bearers of the message were directed primarily to the people of Sokoto dioceses.

He further reiterated his respect for President Buhari, saying: “The President knows that I have great respect for him and he is a gentleman, but he has done a terribly bad job as the president of Nigeria.

“There is nothing I am saying that is new, all the pastors who preached yesterday during the Easter service said the same thing. Tell me one thing about the message that I preached that you disagree with and let’s discuss.

“Buhari himself knows that there is nothing personal in what I say. One thing the President has said that humbled me is that he told me ‘Bishop Kukah, I know where you stand on any issue that has to do with Nigeria.’

“What connected me with Buhari and a lot of Muslims is not the catholic church; it is my public position on a lot of things. And I am not saying it so that you must agree with me.

“But Nigerians have been extraordinarily magnanimous because I have not had many people saying we disagree with you and I have not spoken because I know the issue.

“The primary beneficiary of what I say is me and I speak for myself. If you have any issues with me, let’s clarify the issue.”