Key Takeaways
- Tinubu aide counters stoned convoy claim — O’tega Ogra, Senior Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu on digital engagement, strategy and new media, has disputed claim that the president’s convoy was stoned by youths on Friday at Shagari Central Mosque in Area 1, FCT.
- Dino Melaye, ADC chieftain, later posted a video showing some youths throwing stones at a convoy that appeared to be that of the president, with youths chanting “Ba ma yi, ba ma so” — Hausa for “we don’t want you; we don’t support you.”
- Ogra shared a counter-video of Tinubu leaving the mosque dressed in white outfit and black cap, waving to several youths who were hailing him and taking pictures — as Tinubu personally warned politicians against political violence ahead of 2027.
Senior Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu on digital engagement, strategy and new media, O’tega Ogra, has disputed the claim that the president’s convoy was stoned by youths on Friday at the Shagari Central Mosque in Area 1 of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The president had visited the mosque for the Juma’at prayer.
But within hours of that visit, two very different videos were trending — and Nigerians are now asking which one is real.
The first video, shared by Dino Melaye, a chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), showed some youths throwing stones at a convoy that appeared to be that of the president.
Bola,North is gone….At Shagari Mosque in Area 1 in Abuja. pic.twitter.com/lh8yYjRDAC
— Senator Dino Melaye. (SDM) (@_dinomelaye) November 14, 2026
In the clip, which has since gone viral, some of the youths could be heard chanting “Ba ma yi, ba ma so”, a Hausa expression meaning “we don’t want you; we don’t support you”.
That video built on earlier reports that a section of the crowd outside the Shehu Shagari Central Mosque in Area 1, Garki, had broken into loud chants of “Bamayi!” — the Hausa rejection slogan that means “we don’t want it / we reject you” — as the presidential convoy prepared to leave, with stones and objects thrown at the convoy.
It was that video that sparked the headline “Tinubu Bamayi Chants At Abuja Mosque” and set X on fire on Friday.
President Bola Tinubu in Shagari Mosque Area One Garki Abuja for Friday Prayer Today 13th November 2026
Immediately after the Prayers People Started Shouting BAMAYI pic.twitter.com/igIXJACnns— Senator Dino Melaye. (SDM) (@_dinomelaye) November 13, 2026
But on Friday night, the Presidency pushed back.
In a post, Ogra shared a video of the president leaving the mosque, dressed in a white outfit and a black cap bearing his traditional insignia.
“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 under the video.
FACT CHECK: The opposition lied.
Contrary to the narrative being pushed by the opposition, with videos of their alleged paid thugs at the Mosque today, here is footage of Mr. President leaving the mosque after Friday prayers this afternoon.
God bless our President.
God bless… pic.twitter.com/kUVQXsrwkE— O'tega Ogra (@otegaogra) November 13, 2026
In the clip, Tinubu could be seen waving to several youths who were hailing him and taking pictures with their phones as he entered his official vehicle.
The contrast could not be sharper. One video shows youths throwing stones and chanting rejection. The other shows youths hailing the President, waving, and taking pictures as he waves back.
Ogra’s message is clear: the stoning video is not the President’s convoy, or it is a staged video by opposition paid thugs at the National Mosque, not the Shagari Central Mosque where Tinubu prayed.
The development comes as the president warned politicians and their supporters against political violence ahead of the 2027 general election.
In a statement he personally signed on Friday, Tinubu said security agencies had been authorised to confront thuggery and other anti-democratic activities with full force.
He condemned recent reports of violence at political events across the country, insisting that campaigns should focus on issues that promote the welfare of Nigerians and national development.
The president said violence should have no place in political campaigns.
That statement is significant because it comes after a week of violence reports — from thugs storming the NDC town hall in Ikeja, Lagos, with cutlasses, to reports of political clashes in Kaduna and elsewhere.
For supporters of Tinubu, Ogra’s counter-video settles the matter. They say the opposition, led by figures like Dino Melaye, is desperate to create a false narrative of rejection ahead of the January 16, 2027 election.
For critics, Ogra’s video does not settle anything. They argue that both videos can be true — that some youths hailed the President inside the mosque premises, while another section outside threw stones at the convoy as it left. They point to the earlier reports that the “Bamayi” chants had also echoed at Tinubu’s campaign events in Kaduna and other northern gatherings in recent months.
As of the time of filing this update, Xtrend has not independently verified which convoy was in the stoning video, or whether the stones were thrown at Tinubu’s convoy or another convoy.
What is clear is that the battle over the Abuja mosque visit has now become a battle over videos — one showing rejection, one showing celebration, and a country trying to decide which one to believe.
