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The All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council has disclosed that the ₦10 billion approved by President Bola Tinubu for Ebola emergency preparedness remains untouched, dismissing former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar’s demand for an account of the money.
The council also accused Atiku of politicising Nigeria’s latest Ebola case and disrespecting the President by linking his name to the deadly disease.
In a statement issued on Thursday, October 22, the council’s spokesperson, Dele Alake, said the funds approved in June had not been spent, explaining that relevant government agencies had been financing surveillance and other preventive activities through existing resources.
“On accountability, the Atiku camp should note that the N10 billion the President approved for the Ebola emergency in June remains untouched, while the NCDC, FAAN, and other surveillance agencies have spent other available resources,” Alake stated.
The disclosure followed Atiku’s demand that the Federal Government explain how the ₦10 billion earmarked for Ebola preparedness was managed following the confirmation of an imported Ebola case in Abuja.
Atiku, in a statement issued through his campaign’s Director of Strategic Communication, Phrank Shaibu, had demanded details of any disbursements, contracts awarded, payments made and items supplied.
He also questioned the effectiveness of the government’s surveillance system and the circumstances surrounding the detection of the infection.
However, the APC campaign council rejected his criticism, insisting that health authorities had responded appropriately to the situation.
Alake accused the former vice-president of using the public health emergency to attack Tinubu, particularly through a statement linking the President’s first name with Ebola.
“We believe linking and rhyming President Bola Tinubu’s name to Ebola only risks turning a serious health concern into a vehicle to ridicule the President of the Federal Republic,” he said.
The council also faulted Atiku’s criticism of the failure to detect the infected traveller immediately upon arrival in Nigeria.
It explained that Ebola has an incubation period ranging from two to 21 days, with symptoms typically appearing eight to 10 days after exposure.
According to the council, an infected person cannot transmit the virus before developing symptoms, making early detection through symptom-based screening difficult.
Alake maintained that the country’s surveillance arrangements had helped alert authorities to the confirmed infection and facilitated the tracing of 44 identified contacts.
He argued that the relevant agencies deserved commendation rather than criticism for their response.
The APC campaign council also rejected Atiku’s suggestion that public health announcements could be used to discourage Nigerians from attending campaign rallies or participating in the 2027 elections.
Alake described the allegation as speculative, insisting that the ministerial briefing focused on public health protocols rather than restrictions on political activities.
The council challenged Atiku to provide verifiable evidence supporting his concerns.
It also urged the former vice-president and other opposition figures to avoid turning the Ebola emergency into a political confrontation.
“We advise Atiku Abubakar and his hirelings to avoid politicising public health issues,” Alake stated.
He called on Nigerians, irrespective of political affiliation, to support health authorities, follow official preventive guidelines and avoid spreading unverified information.
Meanwhile, the council’s disclosure that the ₦10 billion remains untouched raises a distinction between the President’s earlier directive for its immediate release and the actual expenditure of the funds.
On June 9, the Presidency announced that Tinubu had ordered the immediate release of ₦10 billion to strengthen Ebola preparedness and support critical public health emergency activities.
The campaign council nevertheless maintained that surveillance activities had continued using other available resources as authorities worked to prevent further transmission of Ebola in Nigeria.
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