A viral video circulating on social media shows Hajiya Maryam Wadada, wife of APC Senator Ahmed Aliyu Wadada, distributing large bundles of cash to a crowd. Some online users have claimed the event took place in Osun State.
Claim
The X account Mujahid Saleh Saad (@MujahidSSaad) had posted a video of Hajiya Wadada with the caption stating that Hajiya Maryam Wadada, wife of APC Governorship Candidate Senator Ahmed Wadada, was “spotted sharing millions of newly printed ₦500 notes to her supporters during a visit.”
The roughly two-and-a-half-minute clip depicts an outdoor gathering with stacks of naira notes visible on a table. A woman widely identified as Hajiya Maryam Wadada, wearing a blue hijab, is seen handling and distributing cash and envelopes while a crowd watches and films the scene. The footage has been widely shared as evidence of cash inducement.
The post did not mention any state. However, in comments and subsequent shares, some users began attributing the video to Osun State, where a governorship election is to be held on Saturday, 15 August, 2026. Facebook users such as Ilekhomon Peterson, Mazi IkeGod Ikenwachuku and DAILY LIGHT claimed that the video was filmed in Osun and showed the wife of the APC candidate sharing money ahead of the state’s governorship election. On X, Youth in Process (@Youthinprocess) also suggested that the video was filmed in Osun.
Verification
To determine whether the cash distribution occurred in Osun State, the original post by Saad was first examined in full, including the video and caption. The post identified the woman as Hajiya Maryam Wadada, wife of APC Governorship Candidate Senator Ahmed Wadada, but made no reference to any state or location. Searches were conducted across news platforms and social media for any reports connecting the same video or Maryam Wadada’s cash distribution activities to Osun State. No credible matches were found.
The list of confirmed governorship candidates for Osun State’s ongoing election was also reviewed. Senator Wadada does not appear among them. Osun’s race features different contenders, including the incumbent and the APC’s state-level candidate, Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji.
Further analysis of the video showed Hausa language being spoken. Hausa is predominantly spoken in Northern Nigeria, including Nasarawa State in the North-Central region. Osun State, by contrast, is located in the Southwest, where Yoruba is the dominant language. The use of Hausa is inconsistent with an Osun setting.
Finally, circulating versions of the same video and accompanying commentary on X and other platforms were compared. Accounts that correctly identified the individuals consistently located the event in Nasarawa, while Osun attributions lacked supporting evidence and appeared to stem from misattribution during broader discussions of vote-buying videos.
Verdict: FALSE
Conclusion
The claim that APC Senator Wadada’s wife distributed cash to voters in Osun State is false.
The woman in the video is Hajiya Maryam Wadada, wife of the APC governorship candidate for Nasarawa State. All available evidence, including the use of the Hausa language, places the cash distribution in Nasarawa, not Osun.
