ABUJA – The All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council has accused former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar of politicising the Ebola outbreak and disrespecting President Bola Tinubu, insisting that the N10bn approved for the emergency remains untouched.
The All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council has criticised former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar over his comments on the Federal Government’s handling of the Ebola outbreak, accusing him of turning a public health concern into a political attack.
The council, in a statement issued in Abuja on Thursday by its spokesperson, Dele Alake, said Atiku’s remarks were characterised by insults and disrespect for the office of the President.
Reacting to a statement credited to Atiku questioning the utilisation of the N10bn approved for the Ebola emergency, the APC campaign council faulted the former vice-president for linking President Bola Tinubu’s name to the deadly disease.
It argued that such a reference risked reducing a serious public health concern to an avenue for ridiculing the President.
The council also accused Atiku’s camp of displaying ignorance about Ebola transmission and the circumstances surrounding the detection of the reported case involving a Nigerian who travelled from Uganda.
According to the statement, Ebola has an incubation period of between two and 21 days, with symptoms typically appearing eight to 10 days after exposure.
It added that an infected person could not transmit the virus to others until symptoms developed.
The council explained that the delay between exposure and the onset of symptoms accounted for the period before the affected Nigerian reported to a hospital, where subsequent tests confirmed the infection.
On the N10bn emergency fund, the APC campaign council maintained that the money approved by Tinubu in June had not been touched, claiming that the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria and other relevant agencies had been using existing resources for surveillance activities.
It commended the agencies for strengthening surveillance at the country’s entry points, saying their efforts were critical to preventing the spread of the virus.
The council further stated that the surveillance system helped alert the authorities to the index case and facilitated contact tracing involving 44 people who had come into contact with the patient.
It said a responsible opposition should commend the government’s response rather than resort to what it described as cheap political attacks.
The APC campaign council also dismissed Atiku’s allegation that the ministerial briefing on the outbreak was intended to discourage Nigerians from attending political rallies or voting, describing the claim as speculative.
It challenged the former vice-president to provide verifiable evidence to support the allegation, particularly during the electioneering period.
According to the council, the press conference did not raise any issue about restricting political participation but appealed to Nigerians to comply with the protocols announced by the task force handling the emergency.
The statement urged Atiku and his supporters to refrain from politicising public health concerns, stressing that the threat posed by Ebola required cooperation among government officials, opposition parties and health professionals.
It called on Nigerians to avoid spreading rumours, communicate responsibly and adhere to the health protocols issued by the relevant authorities to prevent the outbreak from escalating into a national epidemic.
“Nigerians deserve, first of all, protection from the deadly disease,” the statement added.