The All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council has accused former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of politicising Nigeria’s Ebola situation, describing his comments on the outbreak as disrespectful to President Bola Tinubu and lacking sufficient understanding of the disease.
The council, in a statement issued on Thursday by its spokesperson, Dele Alake, criticised Atiku over a statement questioning the expenditure of the N10bn approved by the President for the Ebola emergency.
Titled When Disrespect Becomes the Staple of Political Statements, the statement accused the former vice president of using a public health concern to ridicule Tinubu rather than supporting efforts to contain the disease.
The council particularly faulted the reported linking of the President’s first name to Ebola, arguing that such political wordplay trivialised a serious public health issue.
“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,” the statement said.
The APC campaign council also disputed Atiku’s position on the handling of the outbreak, arguing that the time between exposure to the virus and the onset of symptoms could explain why an infected traveller was not detected immediately upon arrival at the Abuja airport.
According to the council, Ebola has an incubation period of between two and 21 days, with symptoms typically appearing eight to 10 days after exposure.
It added that infected individuals generally cannot transmit the virus before developing symptoms, noting that the Nigerian patient sought medical attention days after the initial infection.
On the N10bn approved for the emergency response, the council maintained that the funds remained untouched, claiming that the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria and other surveillance agencies had used other available resources to manage the situation.
The council commended the agencies for their surveillance activities at the country’s entry points, saying the system helped alert authorities to the index case and initiate contact tracing for 44 people who had been in contact with the patient.
“The agencies deserve applause for mounting a robust surveillance at entry points to avert Ebola spread whenever it lands on our shores,” the statement said.
The council further argued that the opposition should support the government’s response rather than criticise its handling of the outbreak.
“A responsible opposition will applaud the Task Force for being responsive. But the Atiku camp always goes for cheap shots at the government,” it added.
It also rejected an allegation attributed to Atiku’s camp that ministerial briefings on the outbreak were intended to discourage Nigerians from attending political rallies or voting.
The council described the allegation as speculative and challenged the former vice president to provide verifiable evidence to support it.
According to the statement, the government’s briefing focused on public health precautions and compliance with protocols announced by the relevant authorities.
The APC campaign council urged Atiku and other opposition figures to refrain from politicising the outbreak, stressing that the situation required cooperation among political leaders, health professionals and the public.
“A time like this demands that all Nigerians, including the opposition, rally around the health authorities and professionals, communicate responsibly, avoid rumour-mongering, and follow the protocols advised by the Task Force to ensure Ebola does not become a national epidemic,” the statement said.
It added that protecting Nigerians from the disease should take precedence over political disagreements.
“Nigerians deserve, first of all, protection from the deadly disease,” the council said.
