My Husband Suffered Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Due To Civil War, Detention, Election Losses – Aisha Buhari

First Lady of Nigeria, Aisha Buhari has revealed that President Muhammadu Buhari suffered from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), after he actively participated in the civil war in Nigeria without receiving rehabilitation.

Mrs. Buhari said this yesterday while attending the Armed Forces Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Centre (AFPTSDC) groundbreaking event organized by the Defence and Police Officers’ Wives Association (DEPOWA) as the special guest of honor.

Revealing how he suffered PTSD following Buhari’s civil war experiences, detention and electoral losses, Aisha said the first mistake she made in Buhari’s house was to tell him his mistakes.

The First Lady noted that being a soldier’s wife or a retired military officer’s wife had negative consequences, adding that she experienced some of these challenges.

She said, “At the age of 19, I had to figure out how to tell somebody of his (Buhari) calibre that he was wrong or right and that was the beginning of my offence in his house, and contesting elections in 2003 and failed, 2007, failed and 2011, the same thing – all without rehabilitation – I became a physiotherapist.

“It is a reality that soldiers and military families have to live with, despite its negative consequences. Being a soldier’s wife or a retired soldier’s wife and a wellness expert, I understand the challenges associated with PTSD and its impact on military families and the nation.

“My husband served the Nigerian Army for 27 years before he was overthrown in a coup d’état. He fought civil war for 30 months without rehabilitation; he ruled Nigeria for 20 months and was detained for 40 months without disclosing the nature of his offence.”

“One year after he came out from detention, we were married, I clocked 19 years in his house as his wife, legitimately. I suffered the consequences of PTSD, because having gone through all these, and at the age of 19, to handle somebody, who was a former Head of State and Commander-in-Chief of Nigeria’s Armed Forces, to tell him that he is wrong is the first mistake you will make,” she stressed.