Tinubu's Convoy: Presidency Reacts to Alleged Attack after Friday Prayers in Abuja
- Presidential aide O'tega Ogra pushed back against viral videos purportedly showing youths stoning Tinubu's convoy after Friday prayers in Abuja
- The controversy erupted after ADC chieftain Dino Melaye shared footage of youths throwing stones at a convoy and chanting against the president
- President Tinubu personally signed a statement warning politicians against violence as the 2027 election season gains momentum
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Abuja, FCT - The presidency has denied that President Bola Tinubu's convoy came under attack from stone-throwing youths after he attended Friday prayers at the Shagari Central Mosque in Area 1, Abuja.
O'tega Ogra, the President's Senior Special Assistant on Digital Engagement, Strategy and New Media, took to X on Friday, November 13, to dispute the accounts circulating online, calling the videos misleading and linking them to opposition actors.
Source: Getty Images
What Dino Melaye Shared
The dispute began after Dino Melaye, a chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), shared footage showing young men purportedly hurling stones at a convoy said to belong to the President. In the video, voices could be heard chanting "Ba ma yi, ba ma so," a Hausa phrase that translates to "we don't want you; we don't support you."
However, Ogra countered that claim by releasing a separate video showing Tinubu departing the mosque in a white outfit and black cap bearing his traditional insignia, with supporters waving and taking photographs as he walked towards his official vehicle.
"Contrary to the narrative being pushed by the opposition, with videos of their alleged paid thugs at the National Mosque today, here is footage of Mr President leaving the mosque after Friday prayers this afternoon," Ogra wrote in his post.
Tinubu Warns Against Political Violence
Beyond the convoy dispute, Tinubu addressed the broader climate of political tension in a statement he personally signed on the same Friday. He condemned reported violence at political gatherings across the country and warned that security agencies had been empowered to act firmly against thuggery and conduct that undermines democratic norms.
The President urged political actors to run campaigns focused on issues that improve the lives of Nigerians and contribute to national development, insisting that violence has no role in the democratic process.
The conflicting accounts and the President's warning come as Nigeria's political space begins heating up ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Political Violence: CESJET Sends Message to Peter Obi, Atiku
Meanwhile, the Centre for Social Justice, Equity and Transparency (CESJET) has condemned what it described as a dangerous and escalating pattern of politically motivated violence in Nigeria, with less than two months to the 2027 general elections.
In a statement signed by Joyce Idoko on Friday, CESJET accused major political parties of deploying reckless tactics against opponents instead of engaging voters on issues that matter. The group called specifically on presidential contenders, including Peter Obi of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) and Atiku Abubakar of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), to publicly restrain their supporters and advocate for peace.
Source: Legit.ng
