The African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate in the 2027 general elections, Omoyele Sowore, has raised concerns that President Bola Tinubu’s administration could exploit Nigeria’s reported Ebola case to discourage voter participation ahead of the polls.
Sowore, a human rights activist, urged Nigerians to remain vigilant against any attempt to use the public health emergency as a pretext for restricting civil liberties or undermining democratic participation.
He expressed his concerns in a statement issued on Wednesday titled, “The Ebola Disease: Why Nigerians Must Not Panic But Must Ask Political Questions.”
The AAC candidate questioned the government’s handling of the reported infection, raising issues surrounding disease surveillance, international public health coordination and the reported appointment of the President’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, to head the Presidential Task Force on Ebola Preparedness.
Sowore said the announcement that a woman who arrived in Nigeria had tested positive for Ebola had generated concerns among citizens, including fears about the possible political implications of the outbreak.
According to him, Nigerians are entitled to question the government’s intentions and demand transparency in its management of the situation.
He said some citizens had expressed apprehension that the administration might use the outbreak to limit political mobilisation and reduce voter participation ahead of the 2027 elections.
“These are questions Nigerians have every right to ask. I cannot put anything beyond Tinubu and his political agenda,” Sowore said.
He further alleged that Tinubu could not win a genuinely free and fair election, urging citizens to resist any attempt to use the health emergency to interfere with the electoral process.
Sowore warned that measures introduced to contain the virus must not become instruments for curtailing fundamental rights or preventing Nigerians from exercising their democratic choices.
He also questioned the communication between Nigerian and Ugandan authorities regarding the travel and medical history of the woman diagnosed with the disease.
Meanwhile, the Federal Government confirmed Nigeria’s first case of Bundibugyo virus disease in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on October 20, 2026.
The Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Ali Pate, announced on Tuesday that laboratory tests had confirmed the infection in a woman who arrived in Nigeria on an international flight from Uganda.
Following the confirmation, health authorities identified 44 close contacts and commenced contact tracing to establish the extent of possible exposure and prevent further transmission.
The woman had reportedly received treatment at a private hospital in the FCT for several days before laboratory results confirmed the infection. She was subsequently isolated and continued to receive medical care.
Those identified as contacts included healthcare workers, patients, caregivers and individuals linked to the woman’s journey.
The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare said it was collaborating with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), the FCT Health Services Secretariat and other relevant agencies to contain the infection.
Although health authorities have initiated containment measures, Sowore’s comments have introduced a political dimension to the outbreak, with the AAC candidate calling for transparency and vigilance as Nigeria prepares for the 2027 general elections.
