The African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate within the 2027 common elections, Omoyele Sowore, has expressed concern that President Bola Tinubu’s administration could exploit the reported Ebola case in Nigeria to suppress voter turnout forward of the elections.
The human rights activist urged Nigerians to stay vigilant in opposition to any try to make use of the general public well being emergency to limit civil liberties or undermine democratic participation.
In a press release issued on Wednesday titled: “The Ebola Disease: Why Nigerians Must Not Panic But Must Ask Political Questions,” Sowore questioned the federal government’s dealing with of the case and known as for transparency in its response.
He raised considerations about illness surveillance, worldwide public well being coordination and the reported appointment of Femi Gbajabiamila, Tinubu’s Chief of Staff, to chair the Presidential Task Force on Ebola Preparedness.
“Nigerians have been raising serious concerns since Nigerian authorities announced that a woman who arrived in the country had been diagnosed with the Ebola virus,” Sowore mentioned.
He mentioned some Nigerians had questioned whether or not the administration may exploit the scenario to demobilise voters forward of the 2027 elections.
“These are questions Nigerians have every right to ask. I cannot put anything beyond Tinubu and his political agenda,” he mentioned.
Sowore additional alleged that Tinubu couldn’t win a genuinely free and honest election, urging Nigerians to stay alert to any try to make use of the general public well being emergency to intervene with the electoral course of.
He warned that the outbreak shouldn’t be used to justify restrictions on basic freedoms or forestall residents from collaborating in democratic actions.
The AAC candidate additionally questioned Nigeria’s communication with Ugandan authorities concerning the journey and medical historical past of the girl identified with Ebola.
The federal authorities confirmed Nigeria’s first case of Bundibugyo virus illness within the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on 20 October 2026.
The Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Ali Pate, introduced on Tuesday that laboratory checks had confirmed the an infection in a girl who arrived in Nigeria on a world flight from Uganda.
Health authorities recognized 44 shut contacts of the girl and commenced contact tracing to find out who might need been uncovered to the virus.
The affected person had been admitted to a non-public hospital within the FCT, the place she obtained remedy for a number of days earlier than laboratory checks confirmed the an infection. She was subsequently positioned in isolation and continued to obtain medical care.
The recognized contacts included healthcare staff, sufferers, caregivers and people linked to the girl’s journey, based on data launched by Nigerian well being authorities.
The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare mentioned it was working with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), the FCT Health Services Secretariat and different related authorities to include the an infection and stop additional transmission.
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