By Lizzy Chirkpi
The All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council has accused former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar of politicising Nigeria’s Ebola response, insisting that the ₦10 billion approved by President Bola Tinubu for emergency preparedness in June remains unspent.
The council’s reaction followed Atiku’s demand for a detailed account of the funds, alongside concerns about disease surveillance, the protection of frontline health workers and the Federal Government’s handling of Nigeria’s confirmed Ebola case in Abuja.
In a statement issued on Thursday, October 22, 2026, the council’s spokesperson, Dele Alake, faulted Atiku for using the public health emergency to criticise Tinubu’s administration.
Alake said the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and other relevant agencies had continued surveillance and response activities using existing resources.
“On accountability, the Atiku camp should note that 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 said.
The council also criticised what it described as attempts to turn the outbreak into a political weapon against the President.
“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 said.
Atiku had, in a statement issued on Wednesday through his Director of Strategic Communication, Phrank Shaibu, demanded transparency over the emergency funds announced in June.
He asked the Federal Government to disclose the amount disbursed, dates of payment, contracts awarded, beneficiaries and items delivered under the preparedness programme.
“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 said.
The former vice-president also questioned the effectiveness of Nigeria’s disease surveillance system, raising concerns about the interval between the infected traveller’s arrival in the country, the onset of symptoms, treatment at a private hospital and the eventual public confirmation of the infection.
He further alleged that frontline health workers had been left to manage the situation without adequate protective equipment, calling for medical professionals to take the lead in coordinating the response.
Defending the government, Alake cited Ebola’s incubation period of between two and 21 days, arguing that symptom-based screening alone could not always detect infected persons immediately.
He also said the country’s surveillance network had helped alert authorities to the infection and facilitated the identification of 44 contacts for tracing.
The APC council maintained that the agencies involved deserved support for their efforts rather than what it described as politically motivated attacks.
It also rejected suggestions that public health announcements were intended to discourage political campaigns or prevent Nigerians from participating in the 2027 elections.
Alake challenged Atiku’s camp to provide verifiable evidence to support its allegations and urged opposition figures to refrain from politicising the health emergency.
The controversy follows Tinubu’s June 9 directive for the immediate release of ₦10 billion to strengthen Nigeria’s preparedness against Ebola and other emerging public health threats.
While the APC council insists that the approved funds remain unspent because the relevant agencies have been relying on other resources, Atiku is demanding a transparent account of the allocation and the measures taken to prepare the country for the outbreak.