The Director-General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), Dr Jide Idris, has dismissed claims that the Federal Government could use the Ebola outbreak as a political weapon ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Idris made the clarification during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today, describing suggestions that the government might exploit the outbreak to create fear for political purposes as false.
He stressed that the government’s priority was to protect public health and contain the disease, urging Nigerians to disregard unverified claims circulating on social media.
“No government will use Ebola as a political weapon,” the NCDC chief said.
His comments came amid heightened public concern following Nigeria’s confirmation of an imported case of Ebola disease caused by the Bundibugyo virus in the Federal Capital Territory on 20 October 2026.
Health authorities identified the patient as a woman who had travelled from Uganda through Addis Ababa before arriving in Abuja. She was subsequently isolated and placed under medical care after laboratory tests confirmed the infection.
The NCDC also began contact-tracing activities, identifying people who may have been exposed to the patient and monitoring them for possible symptoms.
In its situation report dated 24 October, the agency said 53 contacts had been identified, with surveillance and follow-up activities continuing.
The World Health Organization later reported that Nigeria had no active Ebola cases following the evacuation of the patient and her husband to Switzerland for further management. However, Nigerian health officials emphasized that contact tracing and monitoring remained necessary to establish whether any further transmission had occurred.
Idris urged Nigerians to rely on verified information from the NCDC and other authorized health agencies rather than spread rumours that could undermine public confidence and complicate the national response.
He maintained that the country’s focus remained on disease surveillance, early detection, contact tracing and preventing further transmission.
The clarification comes as political discussions ahead of the 2027 elections increasingly intersect with public concerns about the Ebola response, highlighting the importance of transparent communication and reliable health information during an outbreak.
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