The All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council has criticised former Vice President Atiku Abubakar over his comments on Nigeria’s Ebola response, accusing him of politicising a serious public health concern.
The council described Atiku’s remarks as disrespectful to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, arguing that political disagreements should not turn an infectious disease emergency into an avenue for ridicule.
In a press release dated October 22, 2026, and signed by its spokesperson, Dele Alake, the council faulted a statement attributed to Atiku that linked Tinubu’s first name to Ebola and questioned the management of the ₦10 billion approved for the emergency response.
The APC campaign council said the wordplay trivialised a potentially dangerous health situation and demonstrated a misunderstanding of Ebola transmission and surveillance procedures.
It explained that Ebola’s incubation period ranges from two to 21 days, with symptoms typically appearing between eight and 10 days after exposure.
According to the council, infected individuals cannot transmit the virus before developing symptoms, explaining why a traveller who later tested positive might not have been identified as an Ebola case immediately upon arrival.
The council said the infected Nigerian reported to a hospital days after arrival, where subsequent tests confirmed the infection.
On the controversy surrounding the ₦10 billion emergency allocation, the APC campaign council claimed that the money approved by Tinubu in June remained untouched.
It maintained that the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and other surveillance agencies had relied on existing resources to strengthen monitoring and response measures.
The council praised the agencies for identifying the reported case and initiating contact tracing involving 44 people who had contact with the patient.
It said the surveillance measures demonstrated the responsiveness of Nigeria’s public health authorities and deserved commendation rather than political attacks.
The APC campaign council also rejected allegations attributed to Atiku’s camp that a ministerial briefing on the Ebola situation was intended to discourage Nigerians from attending political rallies or voting.
It described the allegation as speculative, insisting that serious claims of political interference in public health measures should be supported by verifiable evidence.
According to the council, the briefing focused on public health protocols and urged Nigerians to comply with the measures announced by the relevant authorities.
The council accused the former vice president and his associates of resorting to political attacks instead of supporting efforts to contain the health threat.
It urged political parties, candidates and their supporters to avoid spreading unverified information and refrain from exploiting public health emergencies for electoral advantage.
The APC campaign council called on Nigerians to cooperate with health professionals, observe official safety guidance and support surveillance and contact-tracing efforts to prevent a wider outbreak.
“Nigerians deserve, first of all, protection from the deadly disease,” the statement said.
The statement comes amid political manoeuvring ahead of the 2027 general elections, with public health preparedness and government accountability emerging as issues in the exchanges between the ruling party and opposition figures.
However, the council’s claims about the status of the ₦10 billion allocation and the circumstances surrounding the reported Ebola case were not independently established in the press release. The allegations and explanations should therefore be assessed alongside statements and records from the relevant health authorities.
