Sowore also queries Tinubu-led govt’s alleged delay in sharing information about woman’s travel and medical history.
By Kehinde Okeowo
Human rights activist and African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, has warned the President Bola Tinubu-led government not to use the Ebola outbreak in the country as an excuse to restrict political participation ahead of the 2027 general elections.
He issued the warning on Wednesday, October 21, in a post shared on his official X page, titled: “THE EBOLA DISEASE: WHY NIGERIANS MUST NOT PANIC BUT MUST ASK POLITICAL QUESTIONS”.
TheNiche had earlier reported that the Federal Government on Tuesday announced that a case of Ebola in Nigeria’s capital, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), was confirmed following laboratory testing.
Elaborating on the development in a statement, the Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, said: “A woman who recently arrived in Nigeria on an international flight from Uganda was admitted to a private hospital in the FCT, where she received treatment for several days before the diagnosis was confirmed.”
Reacting to the news, Sowore raised concerns over the possibility of the health emergency being exploited for political purposes.
“I firmly believe he knows he cannot win a genuinely free and fair electoral contest,” Sowore said, referring to President Tinubu.
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He added: “Public health emergencies must never become excuses for suppressing democratic participation or restricting fundamental freedoms.”
Sowore also noted that Ugandan authorities have distanced themselves from claims by the Nigerian government that the woman diagnosed with Ebola probably contracted it while in their country.
“Uganda has reportedly issued an official statement clarifying that the woman diagnosed with Ebola in Nigeria merely transited through Uganda after visiting the Democratic Republic of Congo. Ugandan authorities maintain that they have no confirmed active Ebola cases and have reportedly complained about delays in receiving information from Nigeria concerning the woman’s travel and medical history,” he said.
He went on to ask why Nigerian authorities allegedly delayed sharing information about the woman’s travel and medical history, raising concerns about disease surveillance and international coordination.
The AAC presidential candidate further questioned the reported appointment of Femi Gbajabiamila to lead Nigeria’s Presidential Task Force on Ebola Preparedness, arguing that qualified public health professionals should play a central role in the response.
“Public health must protect lives, not become an instrument of political control,” he said, calling for transparent information, effective contact tracing, and proper medical care.
