Former Vice President and leading opposition figure, Atiku Abubakar, has launched a scathing attack on President Bola Tinubu’s administration over its handling of the fresh Ebola outbreak in Nigeria, demanding a full account of the N10 billion emergency fund approved for Ebola preparedness.
Atiku, in a strongly worded statement issued on Tuesday by Phrank Shaibu, Director of Strategic Communication of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, Presidential Campaign Council, said the confirmed Ebola case in Abuja has exposed what he described as a dangerous breakdown in the country’s public health response and preparedness.
The former Vice President said Nigerians deserve urgent action, competent leadership and the truth, lamenting that the first confirmed case in the Federal Capital Territory has raised unanswered questions about surveillance, preparedness and the safety of health workers.
According to Atiku, President Tinubu must immediately account for the N10 billion he announced in June would be released immediately for Ebola preparedness.
“Where is the money? Publish the amount actually disbursed, the dates of payment, every contract awarded, every recipient and every item delivered. If the money was not released, Tinubu must explain why he announced emergency funding that never reached the people responsible for protecting Nigerians. A press statement cannot replace an audit,” Atiku stated.
Atiku described the timeline of the current case as damning and a clear failure of preparedness with potentially grave consequences. He noted that the patient arrived in Nigeria on October 5, developed symptoms on October 7 and sought care at a private hospital on October 11, but the Federal Government did not confirm the case publicly until October 20, nine days after she sought medical attention.
He alleged that during that critical window, 44 close contacts were left unmonitored, while private health workers who first attended to the patient faced the deadly virus without adequate personal protective equipment.
“The government must disclose what happened at every stage. What travel history and exposure screening were conducted? What follow-up began when the patient developed symptoms? When were the 44 contacts first reached and monitored? Why were frontline staff left without the protection they needed? Nigerians deserve answers, and those responsible for these failures must be held accountable,” he queried.
The former Vice President also questioned the leadership structure of the response, recalling that in June, President Tinubu announced a Presidential Task Force on Ebola chaired by his Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila. He said Nigerians must now ask whether political appointees have been allowed to overshadow medical experts who should lead the response.
Atiku insisted that the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, NCDC, epidemiologists, doctors and public health professionals must be in charge of the response with full authority and resources, stressing that political titles cannot trace contacts, equip hospitals or save lives.
He further linked the health emergency to the prevailing economic hardship in the country, arguing that Nigerians are already battling the harsh effects of the administration’s economic policies and should not be made to pay twice through a bungled emergency response that threatens movement, livelihoods and economic activity.
In a more controversial claim, Atiku warned against using the outbreak to suppress political activity. He alleged that he has confirmed information that the Minister of Health’s press conference scheduled for Wednesday is intended to discourage Nigerians from attending campaign rallies and ultimately from voting in future elections.
He also faulted the Health Ministry’s role, claiming the ministry received only N35 million disbursement in the 2025 appropriation and was not involved in the initial Ebola prevention programme, yet is now being pushed to make emergency health announcements.
BACKGROUND:
News Century TV recalls that the Federal Government confirmed a fresh case of Ebola Virus Disease in Abuja on October 20, after nearly 11 years since Nigeria was declared Ebola-free in 2014. The case involves a female patient with travel history, who is currently in isolation.
In June 2025, following Ebola resurgence in some African countries, President Tinubu had announced the immediate release of N10 billion and set up a Presidential Task Force to strengthen border surveillance, equip isolation centres and train frontline workers.
The NCDC has since announced that it has traced 44 close contacts of the Abuja patient and activated emergency response measures across the FCT and neighbouring states.
