Alwaght- Reacting to reports that Nigerian first lady Aisha may not support her husband's reelection, President Muhammadu Buhari said her place is the kitchen.
The sexist remarks were made during a news conference with the German Chancellor Angela Merkel, known as one of the most powerful women in the world.
Buhari’s wife, a businesswoman and activist, questioned his leadership in an interview with the British BBC channel and said she would not support his election unless he made changes in the cabinet.
"I don't know which party my wife belongs to but she belongs to my kitchen and my living room and the other room," said the president, whose popularity at home has plummeted amid a deep recession.
Buhari told reporters that he can "claim superior knowledge over her and the rest of the opposition" after running for president three times and succeeding on his fourth attempt.
Presidential spokesman Garba Shehu later took to twitter to dismiss Buhari's comments as "banter."
"Politics sometimes should be spiced with humor," he tweeted. "Those of us around him know there is never a dull moment with him."
Buhari took over last year from Goodluck Jonathan, inheriting a nation with a stubborn militant insurgency and lingering fuel shortages, a paradox for one of the world largest oil producers.
He was sworn in as president in May 2015 but the former general was among military strongmen who dominated Nigeria decades ago. A military coup first brought him to power in 1983, and another military coup toppled him two years later.
Buhari's regime was known for its "war on indiscipline," which critics say was marred by human rights abuses and is also known for a bloody record after the army attacked Shiite ceremonies in 2015 and arrested their leader, Sheikh Ibrahim Zakzaky along with his wife.
Sheikh Zakzay has been under torture since then and his wife says he is losing one of his eyes due to improper health conditions in prison.
