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Video does NOT show federal lawmaker assaulted over defection in Zamfara

Nurudeen Akewushola
Nurudeen Akewushola
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Screenshot of the viral post.
Screenshot of the viral post.

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A video circulating on social media claims to show a federal lawmaker in Zamfara State being assaulted by a mob after defecting from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The 56-second clip shows a crowd physically attacking a man, with some dragging and beating him.

An X account, @ADCVanguard_, shared the video with the caption:

“BREAKING: This is what happens after a PDP federal Lawmaker has recently defected to the APC and declared his total support for the reelection of President Tinubu in Zamfara, when he visits his Constituency…”

As of the time of review, the post had generated over 53,000 views and more than 1,400 engagements.

CLAIM

The video shows a federal lawmaker being assaulted in Zamfara after defecting from PDP to APC.

Screenshot of the viral post.
Screenshot of the viral post.

THE FINDINGS

Findings by The FactCheckHub show that the claim is FALSE.

The claim surfaced amid ongoing political realignments and defections ahead of the 2027 elections, a period often marked by heightened tensions and misinformation online.

A reverse image search conducted on keyframes from the video shows that the footage is not recent. It was first shared online on December 17, 2025.

Reports from that period confirm that the incident involved Kabiru Mikailu, a member of the Zamfara State House of Assembly representing Maru South Constituency, not a federal lawmaker as claimed.

The incident occurred in Dansadau, Maru Local Government Area, where Mikailu was attacked by residents during a visit to his constituency. He was reportedly slapped, dragged, and manhandled before security operatives intervened.

Residents accused the lawmaker of poor performance, alleging that he had neglected the constituency, failed to engage with constituents, and delivered no visible development projects.

Further checks show that Mikailu remains a member of the PDP and was not among the lawmakers who defected from the party.

VERDICT

The claim that a federal lawmaker was assaulted in Zamfara for defecting from PDP to APC is FALSE. The video shows a December 2025 incident involving a state lawmaker who was attacked by constituents over alleged poor performance, not defection.

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Nurudeen Akewushola is a fact-checker with FactCheckHub. He has authored several fact checks which have contributed to the fight against information disorder. You can reach him via nyahaya@icirnigeria.org and @NurudeenAkewus1 via Twitter.

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