‘N10bn Ebola Fund Untouched’ — APC Campaign Council Replies Atiku

The All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council has said the ₦10 billion approved by President Bola Tinubu for Ebola preparedness remains untouched, accusing former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar of politicising the public health emergency.

The council’s spokesperson, Dele Alake, stated this in Abuja on Thursday while responding to Atiku’s demand for accountability over the funds approved in June to strengthen Nigeria’s preparedness for Ebola and other emerging health threats.

According to Alake, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and other agencies involved in disease surveillance have been using existing resources to manage the situation.

“On accountability, the Atiku camp should note that the N10 billion the President approved for the Ebola emergency in June remains untouched, as the NCDC, FAAN, and other agencies involved in surveillance have been spending other available resources,” he said.

Alake praised the agencies for strengthening surveillance at the country’s entry points, saying their efforts helped alert authorities to the confirmed case and facilitated contact tracing involving 44 people who had contact with the patient.

He also argued that the circumstances surrounding the infected traveller’s arrival from Uganda should be understood in light of Ebola’s incubation period, which ranges from two to 21 days.

The APC campaign council further rejected allegations attributed to Atiku’s camp that a government briefing on the outbreak was intended to discourage Nigerians from attending political rallies or voting ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Alake described the allegation as speculative and called on political actors to support health authorities rather than politicise the outbreak.

However, the council did not provide financial documents to substantiate its claim that the ₦10 billion remained unspent or explain why the allocation had not been utilised several months after its approval.

Atiku, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), had demanded that the government publish details of the funds, including disbursements, payment dates, contracts, beneficiaries and items delivered.

He also questioned aspects of Nigeria’s response to the confirmed Ebola case, including surveillance, contact tracing and the protection of healthcare workers.

The disagreement has renewed calls for transparency over emergency spending as health authorities work to contain the outbreak and prevent further transmission.

The status of the ₦10 billion allocation remains a matter of public interest, with demands for documentary evidence of its release, management and intended use.