Hajiya Maryam Wadada, the wife of the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Nasarawa State in 2027, Senator Ahmed Wadada, has come under scrutiny after a video emerged showing her dolling out wads of naira notes to supporters during an empowerment programme.
The footage circulating on social media was captured at an event to launch the Hayiya Maryam Ahmed Wadada Aliyu Women Empowerment Scheme 2026, during which ₦325 million was disbursed to 6,500 women across the state’s 13 Local Government Areas.
In the video, Mrs Wadada is seen alongside two men beside a table stacked with bundles of mint naira notes. One of the men unwrapped the bundle of cash before handing portions to his colleague, who subsequently gives some of the notes to Wadada’s wife for distribution to supporters, many of whom are women.
The incident, which occurred last Monday – barely a week before the commencement of the 2027 election campaign period, scheduled to begin on August 19 – has generated reactions from some Nigerians online.
Though the organisers said the initiative was designed to provide direct financial support to grassroots women, social media commentaries described the gesture as a subtle voter inducement ahead of the February election.
Critics also noted that the manner in which the naira notes were handled raised questions over possible violation of Nigeria’s laws governing the treatment of the national currency, calling the attention of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to the development.
Section 21 of the Central Bank of Nigeria Act, 2007, prohibits the deliberate and wilful abuse of naira notes. The law provides that a note is deemed to have been tampered with when it is subjected to acts including mutilation, stapling, writing, tearing, soiling, squeezing or “any other form of deliberate and willful abuse.”
The provision further states that anyone found guilty of tampering with the currency may face imprisonment of not less than six months, a fine of at least N50,000, or both.
The development comes against the backdrop of increased enforcement of naira abuse laws by the EFCC.
In July 2026, the commission secured convictions against 12 individuals before the Federal High Court in Warri, Delta State, after they pleaded guilty to charges related to spraying naira notes at a social event.
The EFCC has also previously prosecuted cases involving public displays and improper handling of the currency, including the 2024 conviction of Idris Okuneye, popularly known as Bobrisky, who was sentenced to six months in prison for naira abuse.
The Commission also arrested Kannywood actress Samha Inuwa in February after a video allegedly showed her wiping her nose with the naira notes.
The video involving Wadada’s wife has now raised questions about whether the EFCC will investigate the incident and determine whether the handling of the notes amounts to an offence under the relevant law.
