Tinubu May Exploit Ebola Case To Suppress Voter Turnout Ahead Of 2027 Elections –Sowore | Sahara Reporters
The human rights activist warned Nigerians to guard against any attempt to use the public health emergency to restrict civil liberties.
Omoyele Sowore, the African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate in the 2027 general elections, has alleged that President Bola Tinubu may use the reported Ebola case in Nigeria to suppress voter turnout.
The human rights activist warned Nigerians to guard against any attempt to use the public health emergency to restrict civil liberties.
Sowore, in a statement issued on Wednesday, titled “The Ebola Disease: Why Nigerians Must Not Panic But Must Ask Political Questions,” alleged that President Tinubu’s administration could exploit the case for personal political interests, urging Nigerians to remain vigilant and demand transparency from the authorities.
He said Nigerians have legitimate reasons to question the government’s response, including concerns about disease surveillance, international public health coordination and the reported appointment of Femi Gbajabiamila, a politician and Tinubu’s Chief of Staff, to chair the Presidential Task Force on Ebola Preparedness.
“Nigerians have been raising serious concerns since Nigerian authorities announced that a woman who arrived in the country had been diagnosed with the Ebola virus,” Sowore said.
He added that some Nigerians have questioned whether the administration might exploit the case to demobilise voters ahead of the 2027 elections.
“These are questions Nigerians have every right to ask. I cannot put anything beyond Tinubu and his political agenda,” he said.
THE EBOLA DISEASE: WHY NIGERIANS MUST NOT PANIC BUT MUST ASK POLITICAL QUESTIONS Nigerians have been raising serious concerns since Nigerian authorities announced that a woman who arrived in the country had been diagnosed with the Ebola virus. Some have even questioned whether the Tinubu @officialABAT regime might exploit the Ebola outbreak to demobilize voters ahead of the 2027 general elections. These are questions Nigerians have every right to ask. I cannot put anything beyond Tinubu and his political agenda. I firmly believe he knows he cannot win a genuinely free and fair electoral contest, and that is precisely why Nigerians must remain vigilant against any attempt to exploit a public health emergency to suppress democratic participation or manipulate the 2027 elections. Public health emergencies must never become excuses for suppressing democratic participation or restricting fundamental freedoms. 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. If these accounts are accurate, why has Nigeria not promptly provided the necessary information? What has happened to our disease surveillance systems, emergency preparedness, and international public health coordination mechanisms? Beyond that, serious questions have been raised about the reported appointment of Femi Gbajabiamila, a politician who is not a medical doctor, to chair Nigeria’s Presidential Task Force on Ebola Preparedness. Why should the political leadership of such a critical public health response take precedence over the expertise of qualified epidemiologists, infectious disease specialists, and public health professionals? Nigerians must not panic, but neither should they surrender their right to question those in power. Ebola is a serious disease that requires a coordinated, transparent, science-driven response. It must never be politicized, weaponized, or exploited to undermine civil liberties and democratic participation. We must demand full disclosure of the facts, effective contact tracing, proper medical intervention, protection for frontline health workers, and independent scientific oversight. Nigerians deserve transparency, scientific competence, and accountability, not political bureaucracy or secrecy in the face of a potentially deadly epidemic. Public health must protect lives, not become an instrument of political control. #Ebola #PublicHealth #Accountability #Nigeria
— Omoyele Sowore (@sowore) October 21, 2026
Sowore further alleged that Tinubu could not win a genuinely free and fair electoral contest, arguing that Nigerians must be alert to any attempt to exploit a public health emergency to interfere with the electoral process.
He warned that public health emergencies must not be used as justification for restricting fundamental freedoms or preventing citizens from participating in democratic activities.
The AAC presidential candidate also questioned Nigeria’s reported communication with Ugandan authorities over the travel and medical history of the woman diagnosed with Ebola.
Sowore’s remarks came after the Nigerian government confirmed its first case of Bundibugyo virus disease in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on October 20, 2026.
SaharaReporters reported that Nigeria’s Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Ali Pate, on Tuesday announced the confirmation of an Ebola virus case in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), saying laboratory tests confirmed the infection in a woman who arrived in the country on an international flight from Uganda.
The health authorities identified 44 close contacts of the infected woman and commenced contact tracing to determine who might have been exposed to the virus.
The patient was admitted to a private hospital in the FCT, where she received treatment for several days before laboratory tests confirmed the infection. She was subsequently placed in isolation and continued receiving medical care.
The contacts identified include healthcare workers, patients, caregivers and people linked to the woman’s travel, according to information released by Nigerian health authorities.
The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare said it was working with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), the FCT Health Services Secretariat and other relevant authorities to contain the infection and prevent further transmission.
Meanwhile, Uganda’s Ministry of Health has said the country had no confirmed active Ebola cases as of the time of its statement, following reports that the infected woman had travelled through the country before arriving in Nigeria.
SaharaReporters earlier reported that Ugandan health authorities said preliminary information indicated that the woman had travelled to eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) for business and transited through Uganda in early October.
The Ugandan government said she did not exhibit symptoms while in the country but developed them after arriving in Nigeria.
It stressed that the woman’s transit through Uganda did not establish that she contracted the virus there, adding that the location of exposure remained under investigation.
“Travel through Uganda does not establish that infection occurred here. The location of exposure remains under investigation,” the Ugandan Ministry of Health said.
The ministry also stated that it was awaiting detailed information about the woman’s travel itinerary and clinical history from Nigerian authorities to guide further investigations and any necessary contact tracing.
The clarification comes amid concerns about the movement of the virus across international borders as countries strengthen surveillance and screening measures.
“If these accounts are accurate, why has Nigeria not promptly provided the necessary information?” Sowore asked.
Sowore questioned the state of Nigeria’s disease surveillance systems, emergency preparedness and international public health coordination mechanisms, insisting that the government must explain any gaps in communication that could undermine efforts to contain the disease.
He called for full disclosure of the relevant facts surrounding the reported case and urged the authorities to ensure that contact tracing, medical intervention and information-sharing with affected countries were conducted promptly.
Sowore also criticised the appointment of Femi Gbajabiamila to chair Nigeria’s Presidential Task Force on Ebola Preparedness, questioning whether political considerations were being prioritised over specialised medical expertise.
He argued that the leadership of a critical public health response should involve qualified epidemiologists, infectious disease specialists and other public health professionals.
“Why should the political leadership of such a critical public health response take precedence over the expertise of qualified epidemiologists, infectious disease specialists, and public health professionals?” he asked.
He insisted that Nigeria’s response to the disease should be driven by scientific evidence, professional expertise and independent oversight rather than political bureaucracy.
Sowore called on the government to ensure that qualified medical experts play central roles in directing the response, while demanding accountability from officials responsible for managing the reported case.
Despite his criticism of the government, Sowore urged Nigerians not to panic over the reported Ebola case, stressing that the disease required a coordinated and transparent public health response.
He said citizens should continue to ask questions about the government’s preparedness and handling of the situation without allowing fear to undermine their rights.
“Ebola is a serious disease that requires a coordinated, transparent, science-driven response. It must never be politicized, weaponized, or exploited to undermine civil liberties and democratic participation,” Sowore said.
He demanded full disclosure of the facts, effective contact tracing, appropriate medical intervention, protection for frontline health workers and independent scientific oversight.
Sowore maintained that Nigerians deserve transparency, accountability and scientifically informed decision-making, rather than secrecy in the face of a potentially deadly epidemic.
“Public health must protect lives, not become an instrument of political control,” Sowore said.
Bundibugyo virus disease is a form of Ebola virus disease caused by the Bundibugyo virus. Ebola diseases can cause severe illness and, in some cases, death.
The World Health Organization has said that Nigeria’s confirmed case is linked to the wider regional outbreak of Bundibugyo virus disease, which was declared in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in May 2026.