Bola Tinubu on Sunday accused his political opponents of organising this week’s attacks on TVC and The Nation offices in Lagos. He says this in a statement published today. 

Mr. Tinubu has a stake in the TV station and newspaper, whose offices were set on fire on October 21 by unidentified attackers.

The arsons happened the day after soldiers shot dead unarmed #EndSARS protesters at the Lekki toll gate. 

Mr. Tinubu says in his statement, “It was widely known and circulated through social media that certain malevolent elements were going to take advantage of the situation to attack the Nation newspaper facilities and TVC in Lagos.”

Mr. Tinubu is commonly thought to have played a role in the army’s deployment to the Lekki protest site and the eventual crackdown. He denies this in his statement and lampooned the decision, which was taken by President Muhammadu Buhari. 

“The allegations against me make no sense because they are untrue,” he says. “They are parented by those seeking to stoke and manipulate the people’s anger in order to advance political objectives that have nothing to do with the subject matter of the protests.

“These elements, mostly hirelings of my political opponents, wreaked their havoc and destroyed those buildings and facilities.”

There was rioting and more arson in other parts of Lagos the same day Mr. Tinubu’s company offices were set on fire.A family home for Governor Babajide Sanwoolu was burnt, and so were government facilities such as two bus terminals, high court and 27 police stations around the city.

Mr. Tinubu has been actively seeking to be president in 2023. Even though he is widely seen as a frontrunner with strong connections to the president, there are several challengers already queuing up to tighten the race.  

Potential candidates include Kayode Fayemi, Ibikunle Amosun, Rotimi Amaechi and Godswill Akpabio, although neither has publicly disclosed interest in the race.