Atiku Demands Accountability for ₦10bn Ebola Fund, Accuses Tinubu of Poor Preparedness

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has demanded that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu account for the ₦10 billion reportedly approved for Ebola preparedness, alleging that the government’s handling of a confirmed case in Abuja has exposed serious gaps in emergency response and public health protection.

Atiku also warned the Federal Government against allegedly using the Ebola outbreak as a pretext to restrict political activities and discourage Nigerians from participating in campaign rallies and voting ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The former vice president made the demands in a statement issued on Wednesday, October 21, 2026, by Phrank Shaibu, Director of Strategic Communication of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) Presidential Campaign Council.

According to Atiku, the confirmed case has raised critical questions about the government’s preparedness, disease surveillance, protection of frontline health workers and management of emergency funds.

“Ebola is a grave public health threat. Nigerians deserve urgent action, competent leadership and the truth. Instead, the first confirmed case in Abuja has exposed unanswered questions about preparedness, surveillance and the protection of health workers,” Atiku said.

He challenged Tinubu to disclose the status of the ₦10 billion he said would be released immediately in June for Ebola preparedness.

“Where is the money? Publish the amount actually disbursed, the dates of payment, every contract awarded, every recipient and every item delivered. If the money was not released, Tinubu must explain why he announced emergency funding that never reached the people responsible for protecting Nigerians,” he said.

Atiku maintained that a public statement would not be sufficient to address the concerns, insisting that a comprehensive audit was necessary to establish how the funds were handled.

Atiku Questions Nine-Day Gap in Public Confirmation

The former vice president also questioned the timeline of the reported Ebola case, alleging that the delay in publicly confirming the infection raised concerns about the effectiveness of the country’s disease surveillance and response mechanisms.

According to the statement, the patient arrived in Nigeria on October 5, developed symptoms on October 7 and sought treatment at a private hospital on October 11. The government, however, did not publicly confirm the case until October 20.

Atiku described the interval as a critical period that required urgent investigation, particularly over the monitoring of people who had come into contact with the patient and the protection available to healthcare workers.

“The timeline is damning. The patient arrived in Nigeria on October 5, developed symptoms on October 7 and sought care at a private hospital on October 11. The government did not confirm the case publicly until October 20, nine days after she sought care,” he said.

He further alleged that 44 close contacts were left unmonitored during the period, while private healthcare workers faced the case without adequate protective equipment.

“This is a failure of preparedness with potentially grave consequences,” Atiku stated.

He called on the government to explain the screening procedures conducted upon the patient’s arrival, the follow-up measures initiated after symptoms developed and when authorities first contacted and began monitoring the 44 close contacts.

He also demanded accountability for any failure to provide frontline medical personnel with adequate protective equipment.

Questions Presidential Task Force Leadership

Atiku further questioned the effectiveness of the Presidential Task Force announced by Tinubu in June, which he said was chaired by the President’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila.

He argued that the response to a public health emergency should be led by medical professionals and epidemiologists rather than political appointees.

“In June, Tinubu announced a Presidential Task Force chaired by his Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila. Today, Nigerians must ask whether political appointees have been allowed to overshadow the medical experts who should lead this response,” he said.

Atiku called for the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), epidemiologists, doctors and other public health professionals to take the lead in managing the situation, with the necessary authority and resources.

“Political titles cannot trace contacts, equip hospitals or save lives,” he added.

The former vice president also argued that the reported outbreak could worsen the economic difficulties facing Nigerians if the government failed to respond effectively.

He said citizens should not bear additional economic and social costs arising from what he described as inadequate preparation and a poorly managed emergency response.

“The people must not pay twice for the same failure: first through hardship, then through a bungled emergency response. Both caused by Bola,” Atiku said.

Accuses Health Ministry of Political Motives

Atiku also expressed concern over what he described as information suggesting that a press conference scheduled for Thursday 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 communicating the government’s Ebola response, alleging that the ministry had not been sufficiently involved in the prevention programme.

However, the statement did not provide supporting documentation for the allegation concerning the intended purpose of the planned press conference.

Atiku warned the Federal Government against introducing public health restrictions without clear medical justification or applying them selectively to political activities.

“The Tinubu administration must not weaponise Ebola to frighten the public, silence its opponents or suppress voter participation,” he said.

“Any public health measure must be backed by clear medical evidence, applied equally and never used as a pretext to interfere with Nigerians’ democratic rights.”

He stressed that legitimate public health measures should prioritise the safety of Nigerians without undermining their constitutional rights to assemble, participate in political activities and choose their leaders.

Demands Transparency and Protection of Health Workers

Atiku concluded by urging the Federal Government to account for the Ebola preparedness funds, strengthen protections for healthcare workers, ensure effective contact tracing and provide Nigerians with accurate information about the situation.

He also cautioned against allowing the public health emergency to become a source of political confrontation or a justification for limiting democratic participation.

“The ‘Bola-Ebola’ strategy will not fool Nigerians. You cannot fail to protect the people, conceal what happened to emergency funds, then use the crisis to restrict their freedom,” he said.

“Account for the ₦10 billion. Protect every health worker. Trace every contact. Tell Nigerians the truth. Fight Ebola, and keep your hands off their right to assemble and choose their leaders.”