Nigeria’s president warned by First Lady Aisha Buhari

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari’s wife has warned him that she may not back him at the next election unless he shakes up his government.

In a BBC interview, Aisha Buhari said the president “does not know” most of the top officials he has appointed.

She suggested the government had been hijacked, saying a “few people” were behind presidential appointments.

Mr Buhari was elected last year with a promise to tackle corruption and nepotism in government.

His wife’s decision to go public with her concerns will shock many people, but it shows the level of discontent with the president’s leadership, says the BBC’s Naziru Mikailu in the capital, Abuja.

Aisha Buhari campaigned vigorously for her husband in last year’s election in Nigeria, organising town hall meetings with women’s groups and youth organisations across the country.

However, she kept a low profile at the start of the administration and was barely seen or heard. She was restricted to her work on the empowerment of women and helping victims of the Boko Haram conflict in the north-east of the country where she is from. This is one of reason why this damning interview has caught the attention of many Nigerians.

It is a significant blow for Mr Buhari, who has a reputation for being a tough, no-nonsense president.

Her comments also bolster accusations that his government has been hijacked by a small group of individuals.

Critics say a large number of people have been appointed because of their relationship with those people in one way or the other.

Mrs Buhari was prompted to to speak out in an effort to end those practices so that party loyalists who contributed to his election victory could benefit.

Her critics say she is speaking out only because she failed to convince the president to appoint her own people.

However, as the closest person to the president, she must have exhausted all avenues before criticising him in the media.

The comments could also mark a turning point for a government that has clearly struggled to deal with economic recession and is facing growing disquiet within the ruling party.

BBC