High Stakes Showdown! Atiku Slams Tinubu on ₦10 Billion Ebola Fund Controversy

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has vehemently condemned the Bola Tinubu administration for its alleged failure to account for ₦10 billion approved for Ebola preparedness. He asserted that a confirmed Ebola case in Abuja has laid bare a dangerous breakdown in the government’s public health response. Atiku also issued a stern warning against any attempt to leverage the Ebola outbreak to suppress political activity or discourage Nigerian citizens from participating in upcoming elections.

In a statement released by Phrank Shaibu, Director of Strategic Communication of the ADC Presidential Campaign Council, Atiku emphasized that Ebola constitutes a grave public health threat. He underscored that Nigerians are entitled to urgent action, competent leadership, and unvarnished truth from their government. However, he contended that the first confirmed case in Abuja has raised critical, unanswered questions regarding preparedness, surveillance protocols, and the adequate protection of frontline health workers.

Atiku specifically demanded that President Tinubu account for the ₦10 billion he announced would be released immediately in June. He called for a detailed public disclosure of the amount actually disbursed, the specific dates of payment, every contract awarded, every recipient of funds, and every item delivered. If the funds were not released as announced, Atiku insisted that Tinubu must provide an explanation for declaring emergency funding that seemingly failed to reach the individuals responsible for safeguarding Nigerians. He stressed that a mere press statement cannot serve as a substitute for a thorough audit.

Highlighting what he described as a "damning timeline," Atiku pointed out that the patient arrived in Nigeria on October 5, developed symptoms on October 7, and sought medical care at a private hospital on October 11. Crucially, he noted that the government did not publicly confirm the case until October 20, a significant nine-day delay after the patient sought care. During this critical period, 44 close contacts were reportedly left unmonitored, and private health workers confronted the case without sufficient protective equipment. Atiku branded this as a failure of preparedness with potentially severe consequences.

The former Vice President urged the government to disclose comprehensive details of what transpired at every stage, including the patient's travel history, the location and conduct of exposure screening, the follow-up actions initiated when symptoms emerged, and the initial identification and monitoring of the 44 contacts. He also questioned why frontline staff were reportedly left without the necessary protection, demanding answers and accountability for those responsible for these perceived failures.

Atiku further questioned the efficacy of the Presidential Task Force chaired by Chief of Staff Femi Gbajabiamila, announced by Tinubu in June. He queried whether political appointees have been permitted to overshadow the medical experts who should legitimately lead such a crucial response. He asserted that the NCDC, epidemiologists, doctors, and public health professionals must be placed in charge, endowed with the requisite authority and resources, emphasizing that political titles are incapable of tracing contacts, equipping hospitals, or saving lives.

The statement also highlighted the compounding effect of the government’s perceived failure, noting that Nigerians are already grappling with economic hardship exacerbated by Tinubu’s policies. Atiku warned that the bungled emergency response threatens to deepen public anxiety and disrupt essential movement, livelihoods, and economic activity. He argued that the populace should not be forced to pay twice for the same failure: first through economic hardship and then through a botched emergency response, attributing both to the current administration.

Expressing alarm, Atiku cited confirmed information suggesting that a forthcoming press conference by the Minister of Health was allegedly intended to dissuade Nigerians from attending campaign rallies and, ultimately, from casting their votes. He found it "ridiculous" that the same Minister of Health, whose ministry reportedly received only ₦35 million in the 2025 appropriation and was not involved in the initial Ebola prevention program, was now being positioned to make critical health emergency announcements. Atiku firmly cautioned the Tinubu administration against weaponizing Ebola to instill fear, silence political opponents, or suppress voter participation, insisting that any public health measure must be substantiated by clear medical evidence, applied impartially, and never serve as a pretext to infringe upon Nigerians’ democratic rights.

Concluding his statement, Atiku dismissed any purported "Bola-Ebola" strategy as a tactic that would not deceive Nigerians. He asserted that the government cannot fail to protect its citizens, conceal the fate of emergency funds, and then exploit the resulting crisis to restrict public freedom. He reiterated his demands: account for the ₦10 billion, ensure the protection of every health worker, trace every contact, provide Nigerians with the truth, actively combat Ebola, and respect citizens' rights to assemble and choose their leaders.