Tinubu, APC owe Nigerians answers on N10bn Ebola fund — Atiku campaign spokesman

By Luminous Jannamike ABUJA – President Bola Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress, APC, have been challenged to explain the whereabouts of the ₦10 billion the Presidency announced for Ebola preparedness in June, after the ruling party reportedly claimed the fund remained untouched despite a confirmed case in Abuja. Phrank Shaibu, Director of Strategic Communication, ADC Presidential Campaign Council, said the claim raised serious questions about the Tinubu administration’s preparedness, accusing the APC of trading political insults instead of accounting for the emergency fund.

In a statement on Friday, Shaibu said the APC’s response to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s demand for accountability had focused on the similarity between Tinubu’s name and Ebola rather than the money and the government’s response to the outbreak. “These aren’t just rhyming words; the effect of Bola’s policies is as deadly as the dreaded Ebola,” Shaibu said.

The statement recalled that the Presidency announced on June 9 that Tinubu had ordered the immediate release of ₦10 billion for Ebola emergency preparedness, questioning why the APC would now describe the money as untouched. “Was the money released or was it not? If it was released, where is it held, who controls it, and why has it not been used for the preparedness President Tinubu announced in June?” Shaibu asked.

He demanded the release documents, account records and Ebola Task Force expenditure reports, insisting that the controversy could not be settled through attacks on Atiku. Shaibu also questioned the government’s response timeline, citing the World Health Organisation’s account that the patient developed symptoms on October 7, sought treatment at a private facility on October 11, and received laboratory confirmation on October 20.

“The APC claims surveillance ‘tipped off’ the government. Then publish the timeline. Name the agency that raised the alert, give the date and explain the action taken,” he said. He asked when Ebola was first suspected, when public health authorities were alerted, when testing was ordered and when contact tracing began. On the 44 identified contacts, Shaibu said their safety, rather than political point-scoring, should be the priority.

“44 identified contacts are people whose health must be protected. They are not a trophy for an APC press release,” he said. He said health workers treating the patient and tracing contacts deserved adequate protection, equipment and resources, stressing that scrutiny of the government’s preparedness should not be confused with an attack on those working to contain the outbreak.

Shaibu also urged the Tinubu administration to publish any proposed restrictions on campaigning or voting arising from the health emergency, together with their medical justification and the advice of relevant health authorities. “Public health guidance must protect people. It must never become a political tool,” he said. He maintained that the Presidency and the APC must resolve the controversy through documentary evidence, explain the response timeline and demonstrate that the necessary measures were in place to protect Nigerians.

“President Tinubu and the APC owe the country answers, not ‘Bola-Ebola’ tales,” Shaibu said.