The All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) has criticized former Vice President Atiku Abubakar over his recent remarks regarding the Federal Government’s handling of an Ebola case, accusing him of disrespecting the presidency and politicizing public health.
In a press statement issued in Abuja by the campaign council’s spokesperson, Dele Alake, the APC condemned a statement credited to Atiku that linked President Bola Tinubu’s name to the virus and questioned the disbursement of the N10 billion approved for the health emergency.
The ruling party described the comparison as a reckless attempt to turn a serious medical concern into a tool for political ridicule.
Addressing the controversy surrounding the detection of the virus, the campaign council explained that the infected traveler from Uganda slipped past initial airport checks due to the natural incubation period of the disease, which ranges from 2 to 21 days.
Noting that infected individuals cannot transmit Ebola until symptoms actively manifest, the APC praised health agencies and the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) for executing a robust surveillance network that successfully identified the index case and initiated contact tracing for 44 exposed individuals.
On accountability regarding the emergency funds, the APC clarified that the N10 billion approved by President Tinubu in June remains untouched in its entirety.
According to the campaign council, relevant agencies such as the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) have managed containment efforts using existing resources, earning commendation rather than criticism.
The APC also dismissed Atiku’s allegations that a recent ministerial media briefing was a political strategy designed to suppress campaign rally attendance or voter turnout, demanding verifiable evidence for the claim.
Warning against rumor-mongering and the politicization of public safety, the campaign council urged all political actors to unite behind health professionals and strictly adhere to official safety protocols to prevent a national outbreak.
