The Director-General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Jide Idris, has said no government will use the Ebola outbreak as a political tool.
Mr Idris spoke on Monday during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today. This comes as there are worries and claims that the Ebola outbreak could be used by the government to sway political actions ahead of the 2027 general elections.
“We in the health sector will not use disease issues as a political weapon,” Mr Idris stated.
PREMIUM TIMES reported earlier that some Nigerians are linking the Ebola case to the government's plans for the 2027 elections. Some people even claim that restrictions might be put in place under the pretense of controlling the disease.
When asked if the Ebola situation could lead to delaying the 2027 elections, Mr Idris said that decision is not in his hands. He mentioned that there is no reason to delay the elections right now. Still, he noted that a large outbreak could raise health worries.
“We hope not, because if the thing gets wide enough, there might be concern. As of now, there is no need for that,” he said.
He explained that health authorities have been watching the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo for months. They expected that movement of people and international flights could bring a case to Nigeria.
“So no government will use Ebola as a political weapon,” he added.
His comments come at a time when political activities are increasing ahead of the 2027 elections. President Bola Tinubu is looking to re-election, and opposition candidates, like former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, are already on the campaign trail.
The Independent National Electoral Commission has set 16 January 2027 for the presidential and National Assembly elections.
The issue of Ebola is also part of the political discussion. Mr Atiku, who is the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, has questioned how the government is managing the outbreak. He also wants to know about the N10 billion approved for Ebola readiness.
His comments led the APC Presidential Campaign Council to say he is politicizing the health crisis and that the fund remains untouched.
In June, the State House announced that President Tinubu had approved N10 billion to boost NCDC readiness and support public health emergency responses.
Mr Idris stressed that the response to Ebola is not based on political reasons. He said Nigeria has been getting ready for the chance of an imported case due to the outbreak in the DRC.
The NCDC boss also warned that Nigeria is not yet Ebola free, even after the index patient was evacuated to Switzerland.
“We don’t have an active positive case,” he said. “But we have contacts. We need to follow up.”
He added that health authorities will keep monitoring contacts and look into other suspected exposures.
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