RismadarVoice Reporters
November 14, 2026
The Presidency has disputed claims that President Bola Tinubu’s convoy was attacked by youths following his attendance at Friday prayers at the Shagari Central Mosque in Area 1, Abuja.
O’tega Ogra, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Digital Engagement, Strategy and New Media, challenged the allegations after a video circulated on social media showing youths reportedly throwing stones at a convoy believed to belong to Tinubu.
The footage, shared by former senator and African Democratic Congress (ADC) chieftain Dino Melaye, also captured some youths chanting a Hausa expression translated as “We don’t want you; we don’t support you.”
The video generated widespread reactions and questions about the circumstances surrounding the President’s departure from the mosque.
Responding to the allegations, Ogra released another video showing Tinubu leaving the mosque after the Juma’at prayers.
In the footage, the President, dressed in white attire and a black cap, was seen waving to a group of youths who cheered and took photographs as he approached his official vehicle.
Ogra accused opposition figures of promoting a misleading account of the incident and disputed suggestions that the President had been attacked.
However, the footage released by the presidential aide did not establish what happened at every point along the convoy’s route.
Similarly, the video circulated by Melaye has not conclusively established that stones struck the President’s convoy or that the alleged attack occurred as described.
The competing accounts have therefore left questions about the incident unresolved, with no independently verified account establishing the full sequence of events.
The development comes amid growing concerns over political violence ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 general elections.
In a statement personally signed on Friday, Tinubu condemned reported incidents of violence at political gatherings across the country.
The President warned political parties, candidates and their supporters against intimidation, thuggery and activities capable of disrupting public order.
He maintained that political campaigns should focus on policies, public welfare and national development rather than hostility between rival groups.
Tinubu also directed security agencies to take firm action against political violence while ensuring that candidates and supporters of all parties could campaign without intimidation.
He reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to peaceful, free and fair elections.
Meanwhile, the circumstances surrounding the viral convoy footage remain disputed, underscoring the need for independent verification before claims of an attack are treated as facts.
