President Bola Tinubu faced boos and protest chants from some worshippers at the Shehu Shagari Central Mosque in Abuja on Friday after observing Juma’at prayers.
Several viral video clips showed people chanting slogans against the President as his convoy left the mosque.
An eyewitness who attended the prayers attributed the incident partly to restrictions imposed on worshippers because of Tinubu’s visit.
The eyewitness, who requested anonymity, said the President arrived at approximately 1:49 pm, by which time access to the mosque had been restricted.
According to the source, security operatives prevented other worshippers from entering the premises after Tinubu arrived. Roads leading to the mosque were also blocked, while some security personnel mounted the mosque’s perimeter fences as part of the security arrangements.
The restrictions reportedly continued after the prayers, with worshippers allegedly prevented from leaving until the President departed.
The eyewitness said some people expressed their frustration by chanting, “Ba mayi, ba ma so”, a Hausa expression loosely translated as “We are not supporting you”.
Others reportedly chanted “Tinubu Must Go”, a slogan associated with opposition to the President’s re-election bid.
Another source at the mosque also blamed the incident partly on what was described as excessive security arrangements.
“People were stopped from entering the mosque after the president had entered. Several people were stuck outside,” the source said.
The source added that some worshippers were prevented from leaving until Tinubu departed, claiming that the booing started from the area where people had been barricaded.
Friday Sermon
During the service, the Chief Imam of the Shehu Shagari Central Mosque, Area 1, Garki, Rabiu Suleiman, delivered a sermon centred on lessons from Surah Al-Fatihah, the first chapter of the Quran.
The Imam urged Muslims to uphold the oneness of Allah and seek steadfastness through Him.
He also prayed for peace and the President’s good health, asking Allah to grant Tinubu greater wisdom and guide him towards leading Nigeria to prosperity.
Suleiman acknowledged the President’s contribution to the renovation of the historic mosque.
Tinubu was accompanied by the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu; his Special Adviser on Political Affairs, Ibrahim Masari; Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila; and former Kano State Governor, Abdullahi Ganduje.
The incident comes amid growing political contestation ahead of the 2027 presidential election, with opposition figures, including Atiku Abubakar of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and Peter Obi of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), expected to challenge Tinubu.
