Former lawmaker, Senator Dino Melaye, and several social media influencers have reacted to a viral video purportedly showing President Bola Tinubu being booed by some Muslim youths after attending Juma’at prayers in Abuja.
Gists9ja reports that the footage circulating on social media captured the moment Tinubu was leaving the renovated Shehu Shagari Central Mosque in Area 1, Garki, Abuja.
In the video, some youths could be heard shouting “Ba Ma Yi”, a Hausa expression commonly used to communicate rejection or disapproval.
The incident reportedly occurred shortly after the mosque’s Chief Imam offered prayers for Nigeria and President Tinubu.
Reacting to the footage, Melaye described the incident as a protest against the President and his alleged ambition to seek re-election in 2027.
In a post on his X account, the former Kogi West senator wrote: “Jumart prayer turned protest against Tinubu.”
Similarly, an X influencer, Ahmed Umar, popularly known as Ahmed Au, said the incident reflected growing frustration among Nigerians.
He wrote: “Nigerians are expressing their frustration! As Tinubu passed the Area 1 Central Mosque in Abuja, people shouted ‘Ba Ma Yi!’”
However, the President’s media aide, Bayo Onanuga, dismissed reports that Tinubu was booed during the mosque visit.
Onanuga maintained that the President received a warm reception from worshippers and other people gathered at the mosque.
To counter the claims circulating online, the presidential aide shared another video showing Tinubu waving at the crowd as his convoy departed the premises.
The conflicting accounts have continued to generate reactions on social media, with attention focused on the footage from the President’s mosque visit.
