A VIRAL video circulating on social media allegedly shows youths in Bodinga, Sokoto State, assaulting an imam over claims that he campaigned from the pulpit for Nigerian president Bola Tinubu’s Muslim-Muslim ticket.
The video shows an altercation and physical scuffle inside a mosque.
The Muslim-Muslim ticket refers to the All Progressives Congress (APC)’s 2023 presidential ticket, which saw Tinubu, a Muslim, contest alongside Kashim Shettima, also a Muslim, as his running mate. The decision sparked debate during the 2023 presidential election, with critics arguing that a same-faith ticket did not reflect Nigeria’s religious diversity.
The claim was shared in an X post by Abba Jidda (@OfficialAzzaki) with the caption:
“A video circulating online allegedly shows youths in Bodinga, Sokoto State, assaulting an imam over claims that he was openly campaigning for Tinubu from the pulpit and telling worshippers that those who reject a Muslim-Muslim ticket should question their faith.
If this allegation is true, it is deeply troubling. Mosques should be places of worship, not political campaign grounds.
2027 is still ahead, but one thing is already clear: the APC and those pushing the Muslim-Muslim narrative have a long and difficult road ahead.”
As of 26 August 2026, the post has garnered over 64,000 views, 590 likes and over 270 retweets and quotes, with people believing the claim to be true.
READ: Image of Zamfara farmers killed in July falsely linked to recent Sokoto attack
CLAIM
A viral video shows youths in Bodinga, Sokoto State, assaulting an imam for campaigning for Bola Tinubu from the pulpit.
FINDINGS
Findings by The FactCheckHub show that the claim is MISLEADING.
A reverse image search and digital check conducted by The FactCheckHub revealed that the video is neither recent nor was it recorded in Sokoto State.
The FactCheckHub found that on 13 November 2025, the exact video was posted on Facebook by an Arabic account, Ahmed Saleh Taher, with the hashtag #SudaneseResistanceCommittees.
The original Arabic caption translates to:
“The people of Kassala disagreed on the sale of the Kassala University/Mosque,” indicating that the altercation was linked to a dispute over the sale of a university/mosque in Kassala, Sudan.
READ ALSO: Video of Sudan war falsely presented as footage from Nigeria
Furthermore, a critical examination of the video shows no evidence of Nigerian language, political paraphernalia, or any connection to Bodinga, Sokoto State, or political campaigns in Nigeria.
The claim appears to have gained traction amid ongoing debate over Tinubu’s decision to retain a Muslim-Muslim ticket for 2027, which has drawn mixed reactions. While some Christian leaders have called the arrangement exclusionary, traditional rulers have defended it on the basis of competence and performance.
This divide has also contributed to the spread of misinformation and misleading narratives, such as the claim circulating on social media that an imam was assaulted for campaigning for the ticket.
VERDICT
The claim that the video shows youths in Bodinga, Sokoto State, assaulting an imam for political campaigning is MISLEADING. The video is an old clip depicting a local dispute inside a mosque in Kassala, Sudan, which has been recycled out of context amid Nigeria’s political and religious tensions.
Seasoned writer and literary curator, Zainab Abdulrasaq is a factchecker for The FactCheckHub in an effort to combat information disorder. She can be reached on IG @blackbookishgirl or zabdulrasaq@icirnigeria.org
