Presidency says there was no stoning of Tinubu’s convoy after Abuja mosque video

The presidency has rejected claims that President Bola Tinubu's convoy was stoned after he attended Friday prayers at the Shehu Shagari Central Mosque in Area 1, Abuja. O'tega Ogra, Senior Special Assistant to the president on Digital Engagement, Strategy and New Media, disputed the claims on Friday, according to Vanguard.

The reaction followed a video shared by Dino Melaye, a chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC). Vanguard and Hetty's Media reported that it showed some youths throwing stones or objects at vehicles believed to belong to the presidential convoy, while chanting "Ba ma yi, ba ma so", a Hausa expression meaning "we don't want you; we don't support you". Other reports mentioned slogans such as "Tinubu Must Go" and the tearing down of All Progressives Congress (APC) posters, with security operatives seen responding as the convoy left.

Ogra answered with footage of his own. "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," he wrote on X. The clip showed Tinubu in a white outfit and black cap waving to youths who cheered him and took photographs on their phones as he got into his official vehicle. Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga was also quoted as saying the claims were not true.

Vanguard added an important caution. The footage Ogra shared, it said, did not independently establish whether the incident in Melaye's video happened at another point along the president's route. In other words, the two videos may show different moments, and neither has been verified by an outlet as covering the whole departure.

TheNigeriaLawyer, which relied on a witness who spoke to Premium Times, reported that tension outside the mosque was linked to security restrictions. Worshippers who arrived after the president were reportedly blocked from entering, and some were held until he left. The presidency has described the circulating videos as misleading and insisted the departure was peaceful.

The dispute comes amid growing worry about political violence before the 2027 general election. In a statement he signed himself on Friday, Tinubu urged politicians and their supporters to avoid violence and said security agencies had been authorised to deal decisively with thuggery and other anti-democratic acts. He asked political actors to campaign on issues that affect Nigerians' welfare.

Until an independent account of the full convoy route emerges, readers have two competing versions: an opposition claim of stone-throwing and a presidency claim of a peaceful, cheerful departure. Both should be read as claims. No injuries or damage were reported in the sources.