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The All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council has criticised former Vice President Atiku Abubakar over his statements on Nigeria’s Ebola case, describing them as disrespectful to the office of the President and displaying ignorance about the virus.
The council, in a statement on Thursday in Abuja and signed by campaign spokesman Dele Alake, took issue with the title of Atiku’s statement, which linked President Bola Tinubu’s name to Ebola while questioning how the N10 billion approved for the emergency was spent.
“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,” the statement said.
The council said Atiku’s statement showed “patent ignorance about the virus and why the traveller from Uganda was not detected on arrival at the Abuja airport.”
It noted that the incubation period ranges from 2 to 21 days, with symptoms typically appearing 8 to 10 days after exposure, and that an infected person cannot transmit the virus until symptoms develop.
On accountability, the council said the N10 billion approved for the Ebola emergency in June “remains untouched,” while the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and other agencies have spent other available resources.
“The agencies deserve applause for mounting a robust surveillance at entry points to avert Ebola spread whenever it lands on our shores,” it said, adding that the surveillance network alerted the government to the index case and led to the tracing of 44 contacts.
The council described Atiku’s allegation that a ministerial briefing was intended to discourage attendance at campaign rallies or voting as speculative and demanded verifiable evidence.
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“We advise Atiku Abubakar and his hirelings to avoid politicising public health issues,” the statement said.
“A time like this demands that all Nigerians, including the opposition, rally around the health authorities and professionals, communicate responsibly, avoid rumour-mongering, and follow the protocols advised by the Task Force to ensure Ebola does not become a national epidemic.”
