By Chesa Chesa
The All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council has accused former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of politicising the Ebola outbreak in Nigeria, and disrespecting the office of the President.
In a statement issued in Abuja on Thursday, the council’s spokesperson, Dele Alake, criticised a statement attributed to Atiku over the reported Ebola case in the Federal Capital Territory and the N10 billion approved by President Bola Tinubu for the emergency response.
Alake said the title of Atiku’s statement linked the President’s first name to Ebola and questioned how the approved funds had been spent.
He described the wording as disrespectful and warned that it could turn a serious public health concern into an avenue for ridiculing 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,” he said.
The APC campaign council also accused Atiku’s camp of displaying ignorance about Ebola transmission, particularly over why the Nigerian traveller from Uganda was not detected immediately upon arrival at the Abuja airport.
Alake explained that Ebola’s incubation period ranged from two to 21 days, with symptoms typically appearing between eight and 10 days after exposure.
He stated that an infected person could not transmit the virus until symptoms developed, explaining why the patient reported to a hospital several days after arrival.
According to him, several tests later confirmed that the person had Ebola.
On the N10 billion emergency fund, Alake said the money approved by Tinubu in June remained untouched, as the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria and other agencies involved in surveillance had been using existing resources.
He commended the agencies for strengthening surveillance at entry points and said the system had helped alert the government to the index case.
The surveillance effort, he added, also led to the identification and contact tracing of 44 people who had contact with the patient.
“A responsible opposition will applaud the Task Force for being responsive. But the Atiku camp always goes for cheap shots at the government,” Alake said.
He further rejected an allegation attributed to Atiku that the ministerial briefing on the Ebola situation was intended to discourage Nigerians from attending campaign rallies or voting.
Alake described the allegation as speculative and said Atiku could not make such a serious claim without verifiable evidence, particularly during an election period.
