Atiku’s Camp Challenges APC To Account For ₦10bn Ebola Fund

Atiku’s Camp Challenges APC to Account for ₦10bn Ebola Fund

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential campaign of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has challenged the All Progressives Congress (APC) to explain the whereabouts of the ₦10 billion approved by President Bola Tinubu for Ebola preparedness, following the party’s claim that the funds remain untouched.

The challenge came after the APC Presidential Campaign Council disclosed that the money approved in June had not been spent, as relevant agencies were relying on other available resources to manage surveillance and respond to a confirmed Ebola case in Abuja. In a statement issued on Friday, Phrank Shaibu, Director of Strategic Communication of the ADC Presidential Campaign Council, described the APC’s response as a distraction from questions about the management of the public health emergency. Atiku’s camp demanded documentary evidence showing whether the funds had been released, where the money was being held, who was responsible for managing it and why it had allegedly not been deployed. It also called for the publication of relevant release documents, account records and expenditure reports relating to the Presidential Task Force on Ebola Preparedness. President Tinubu had, on June 9, reportedly directed the immediate release of ₦10 billion to strengthen Nigeria’s preparedness for Ebola and other emerging public health threats. However, APC campaign council spokesperson Dele Alake said the allocation remained untouched because the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and other agencies had been using existing resources for surveillance activities. The ADC campaign questioned the government’s response timeline following confirmation of the Ebola case. Citing information attributed to the World Health Organisation, it said the patient developed symptoms on October 7, sought treatment at a private health facility on October 11 and received laboratory confirmation on October 20. Atiku’s camp asked when health officials first suspected the infection, when public health authorities were alerted, when testing was initiated and when contact tracing began. It also called on the government to explain how the 44 identified contacts of the patient were being monitored and whether sufficient personnel, equipment and resources had been provided to prevent further transmission. The statement stressed the need to protect healthcare workers involved in treating the patient and tracing contacts, insisting that questions about public spending and emergency preparedness should not be dismissed as political attacks. The ADC campaign also raised concerns about suggestions that public health measures could affect political rallies or voting, urging the government to publish any proposed restrictions and provide the medical advice underpinning them. The APC, however, has accused Atiku’s camp of politicising the Ebola situation. Alake maintained that the surveillance system helped alert authorities to the confirmed case and facilitated contact tracing. The dispute has placed renewed attention on the status of the ₦10 billion allocation and the government’s preparedness measures as health authorities work to contain the reported infection. Atiku’s camp maintained that Nigerians deserved a transparent account of the funds and a clear explanation of the actions taken to protect public health.