Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has challenged President Bola Tinubu’s administration to account for the ₦10 billion reportedly approved for Ebola preparedness, alleging that the handling of a confirmed case in Abuja has raised serious questions about Nigeria’s public health response.
Atiku also warned against any attempt to use the outbreak to restrict political activities or discourage Nigerians from participating in campaign rallies and voting.
The former vice president made the allegations in a statement issued by Phrank Shaibu, Director of Strategic Communication of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) Presidential Campaign Council, and shared on Atiku’s X account on Wednesday.
Atiku called on the Federal Government to disclose how much of the announced Ebola preparedness funding had been released, the dates of disbursement, contracts awarded, recipients and items delivered.
“Where is the money? Publish the amount actually disbursed, the dates of payment, every contract awarded, every recipient and every item delivered,” he said.
He argued that if the funds had not been released, the President should explain why emergency funding was announced without the resources reaching those responsible for protecting public health.
“A press statement cannot replace an audit,” Atiku added.
The former vice president also questioned the timeline of the reported Ebola case, claiming that the patient arrived in Nigeria on October 5, developed symptoms on October 7 and sought treatment at a private hospital on October 11, while public confirmation of the case came on October 20.
According to Atiku, the nine-day period between the patient seeking medical attention and the public announcement raised concerns about surveillance, contact tracing and the preparedness of healthcare facilities.
He further alleged that 44 close contacts had been left unmonitored during a critical period and that private healthcare workers lacked adequate protective equipment.
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Atiku called on the government to explain what travel history and exposure screening were conducted, when follow-up measures began, when the identified contacts were reached and why frontline health workers allegedly lacked sufficient protection.
He maintained that Nigerians deserved transparent answers and that anyone found responsible for failures in the response should be held accountable.
The ADC chieftain also questioned the structure of the Federal Government’s Ebola response, referring to the Presidential Task Force announced by Tinubu in June and chaired by his Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila.
Atiku argued that medical experts, including the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), epidemiologists, doctors and public health professionals, should lead the response, with adequate authority and resources to contain the outbreak.
He said political appointments should not overshadow the expertise required to manage a public health emergency.
Atiku further linked the controversy to Nigeria’s economic challenges, arguing that citizens should not bear the consequences of both economic hardship and what he described as inadequate emergency preparedness.
“The people must not pay twice for the same failure: first through hardship, then through a bungled emergency response. Both caused by Bola,” he said.
The former vice president also alleged that a planned press conference by the Minister of Health was intended to discourage Nigerians from attending political campaign rallies and, ultimately, from voting.
He questioned the minister’s role in the Ebola prevention programme and cited what he described as a ₦35 million disbursement for the ministry under the 2025 appropriation.
Atiku’s claims about the funding, contact tracing and alleged political intentions had not been independently established in the statement. The Federal Government’s response to the allegations was not included in the material available for this report.
The controversy comes amid concerns over public health preparedness and the need for transparent communication during disease outbreaks. Verification of the reported case timeline, funding disbursement and contact-tracing figures is essential to establishing the full circumstances surrounding the government’s response.