Ebola Outbreak: Atiku’s ‘Ebola-Tinubu’ Joke and N10B Fund Allegations

The All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council has condemned former Vice President Atiku Abubakar for allegedly insulting the office of the President and politicising a critical public health crisis.

Campaign Council Spokesperson Dele Alake accused Atiku of using a serious Ebola virus situation to launch cheap political attacks against President Bola Tinubu in the thick of the election season.

The conflict erupted after Atiku’s camp released a statement on the recent Ebola case in Nigeria with a title that rhymed President Tinubu’s first name with the deadly virus.

“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,” Alake stated.

In a press statement responding to Atiku’s questions regarding how the government spent the N10 billion emergency fund approved for the crisis in June, the APC campaign council revealed that the money remains entirely untouched.

According to Alake, frontline agencies—including the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN)—have been funding containment efforts using other available resources.

Government Defends Airport Surveillance Deficit Claims

The APC also dismissed claims that border surveillance failed after an infected traveller from Uganda entered the country undetected.

The campaign council explained that the virus’s incubation period runs between 2 and 21 days, with symptoms appearing within 8 to 10 days, meaning an infected individual cannot transmit the virus until they actively show symptoms.
It added that because the patient in question was asymptomatic upon arrival at the Abuja airport, she only tested positive days later after reporting to a hospital.

Alake praised health authorities for successfully identifying the index case and launching a robust contact-tracing network to monitor 44 active contacts.

Allegations of Rally Disruptions Dismissed

The ruling party further denied Atiku’s allegations that recent government health briefings were strategically timed to discourage citizens from attending opposition campaign rallies or voting.

Characterizing the claim as baseless speculation, the council maintained that health officials are strictly focused on public compliance with safety protocols.

“A time like this demands that all Nigerians, including the opposition, rally around the health authorities,” Alake warned, urging the opposition to stop spreading rumors and avoid turning a deadly disease into a political tool.