The All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council has accused former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of politicising Nigeria’s response to the Ebola case reported in Abuja.
The council, in a press release signed by its spokesperson, Dele Alake, on Thursday, additionally mentioned the N10 billion President Bola Tinubu accepted in June for the Ebola emergency response remained untouched.
The assertion adopted Atiku’s criticism of the federal government’s dealing with of the Ebola case, together with questions on how the N10 billion accepted for the emergency was being spent.
Atiku, the presidential candidate for the opposition African Democratic Congress (ADC) within the 2027 election, had earlier demanded an account of the fund, questioning the federal government’s dealing with of the confirmed Ebola case and its preparedness, surveillance, and safety of healthcare staff.
The dispute comes amid a current confirmed case on 20 October after a Nigerian lady who had travelled from Uganda examined optimistic for the virus at a personal hospital in Abuja.
Health authorities have recognized 44 contacts of the affected person and begun tracing individuals who could have been uncovered to the virus.
The State House had introduced on 9 June that Mr Tinubu accepted the quick launch of ₦10 billion as emergency intervention funding to strengthen the operational preparedness of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) and help public well being emergency response actions.
Atiku, by his Director of Strategic Communication, Phrank Shaibu, later demanded particulars of how the cash was disbursed, together with the quantities launched, cost dates, contracts awarded, beneficiaries, and gadgets provided.
“Where is the money? Publish the amount actually disbursed, the dates of payment, every contract awarded, every recipient and every item delivered. A press statement cannot replace an audit,” Atiku mentioned.
He additionally questioned Nigeria’s dealing with of the confirmed case, saying the affected person arrived in Nigeria on 5 October, developed signs two days later and sought therapy at a personal hospital on 11 October, earlier than the federal government confirmed the Ebola case on 20 October.
Atiku warned in opposition to utilizing the outbreak to limit political campaigns or discourage voter participation forward of the 2027 elections.
The former vice chairman’s assertion was titled “Bola and Ebola: Where did the ₦10 billion go?”, a framing the APC campaign council described as disrespectful and an try and ridicule Mr Tinubu.
Mr Alake mentioned linking the president’s first identify to Ebola risked turning a critical public well being emergency right into a political weapon.
Mr Alake mentioned the previous vice chairman’s assertion, which linked Mr Tinubu’s first identify (Bola) with Ebola, was disrespectful to the workplace of the president and risked turning a critical public well being concern into political ridicule.
He mentioned Atiku’s feedback additionally confirmed a misunderstanding of how Ebola is transmitted and why the contaminated traveller was not detected on the Abuja airport.
According to the APC campaign council spokesperson, the incubation interval for Ebola ranges from two to 21 days, with signs usually showing between eight and 10 days after publicity.
He mentioned an contaminated particular person couldn’t transmit the virus to others till signs developed.
“This is why it took the infected Nigerian some days before reporting to the hospital, where several tests showed that the person had Ebola,” Mr Alake mentioned.
On the N10 billion emergency fund, Mr Alake defined that the cash Mr Tinubu accepted in June had not been spent as a result of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), and different surveillance businesses used different out there sources.
“The N10 billion the President approved for the Ebola emergency in June remains untouched, as the NCDC, FAAN, and other agencies involved in surveillance have been spending other available resources,” he mentioned.
Mr Alake praised the businesses for what he described as sturdy surveillance at Nigeria’s factors of entry, saying the system helped detect the suspected case and triggered contact tracing.
He mentioned officers had recognized 44 contacts of the contaminated particular person and positioned them beneath surveillance.
The Ebola virus disease is a extreme sickness and might unfold by direct contact with the blood or bodily fluids of an contaminated particular person, significantly after signs start. Early detection, isolation, contact tracing and an infection prevention measures are central to containing outbreaks.
Mr Alake additionally rejected Atiku’s allegation {that a} ministerial briefing on the outbreak was meant to discourage Nigerians from attending campaign rallies or voting.
He described the allegation as speculative and challenged the previous vice chairman to offer proof.
“The press conference did not raise this issue, except to appeal to the public to comply with the Task Force’s announced protocol,” he mentioned.
The APC campaign council urged Atiku and different opposition figures to keep away from politicising public well being points, saying the Ebola state of affairs required cooperation with well being authorities and compliance with public well being protocols.
“Nigerians deserve, first of all, protection from the deadly disease,” Mr Alake mentioned.
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