Human rights activist Aisha Yesufu has criticised a viral video showing Maryam Wadada, wife of Nasarawa State politician Senator Ahmed Wadada, distributing cash to supporters during an empowerment programme. The footage, which circulated widely on social media, captured the politician’s spouse handing out money to attendees at what was described as a community outreach event.
Reacting on her verified X account, Yesufu questioned the dynamics of such distributions, drawing a direct comparison between the cash handouts and essential household expenses. “You see this money the people there are receiving?” she wrote. “They value it more than the hundreds of thousands you use to pay their children’s school fees, pay their rents and hospital bills.”
The activist went further, suggesting a structural imbalance in how governance is funded and perceived. “Do you know that you are the ones subsidizing governance for APC to do this freely without the people going after them?” she asked, referencing the All Progressives Congress, the political party associated with Senator Wadada.
The incident has reignited debate about vote-buying, political patronage, and the monetisation of civic engagement in Nigeria. Critics argue that cash distributions during political or quasi-political events undermine democratic accountability by creating transactional relationships between office-seekers and the electorate. Supporters of such programmes often frame them as legitimate empowerment or poverty alleviation efforts.
Yesufu, a prominent voice in Nigeria’s civil society space, has consistently advocated for institutional accountability and citizen-led demand for good governance. Her remarks reflect a broader concern among activists that material inducements erode the capacity of communities to hold leaders responsible for public service delivery.
Neither Maryam Wadada nor the senator’s office has issued a public response to the video or the criticism. The empowerment programme’s organisers have not clarified the source of the funds distributed or the selection criteria for beneficiaries.
The episode underscores persistent challenges in separating political activity from social welfare initiatives in Nigeria’s electoral landscape. As digital platforms amplify scrutiny of such events, public figures face growing pressure to demonstrate transparency in community engagements.
