Certain political parties have rejected calls to suspend campaign activities ahead of the 2027 general elections despite reports of an Ebola outbreak in the country. Instead, party leaders urged the Federal Government to enhance preventive measures and establish clear public health protocols.
The parties argued that campaigns can continue safely if political organizations implement strict health precautions to limit virus transmission at rallies and large public gatherings.
Following the reported case, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate—Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare—stated that health authorities see no immediate necessity to postpone political campaigns, conferences, or other major public events.
Bala Ibrahim—National Director of Publicity for the All Progressives Congress—told Sunday PUNCH that the Federal Ministry of Health, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, and other relevant agencies have issued official public health advisories while urging citizens to remain calm.
He warned that politicizing the health situation could trigger unnecessary fear and confusion.
Ibrahim said, “Contagious disease or infectious diseases that require quarantine and proper investigation is not something that you subject to political discussion. This is a very technical issue and a sensitive one for that matter.
“Let us not take the matter to the political arena where there will be panic, and there will be fear and confusion in the country.”
Outbreak as a pretext to restrict opposition campaigns
However, the African Democratic Congress expressed concern that the Federal Government might restrict opposition campaigns under the pretense of managing the Ebola outbreak.
Bolaji Abdullahi, the party’s National Publicity Secretary expressed concerns that authorities must ground any restrictions on political activity in transparent, unambiguous public health evidence.
Similarly, the Social Democratic Party advised the government to strengthen surveillance and preventive measures rather than impose a total ban on election campaigning.
Rufus Araba—the party’s National Publicity Secretary also said that current conditions do not justify halting campaign activities as political organizations prepare for the elections.
Backstory…
Recall that the Federal Government on October 20 confirmed the first of case of the virus in the FCT, making the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) present in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The case was laboratory-confirmed after a woman, who recently returned to Nigeria from Uganda, was admitted to a private medical facility in the FCT.
The Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, disclosed the development in an official statement released on Tuesday, October 20, 2026.
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