The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has said the 2027 general election could be postponed if the Ebola outbreak spreads to a level that threatens public health.
The NCDC Director-General, Dr Jide Idris, stated this during an interview with Channels Television, noting that the severity and geographical spread of the outbreak would determine whether postponing the election becomes necessary.
Idris, however, expressed optimism that the outbreak would be contained without disrupting the electoral timetable, stressing that there was currently no reason to consider postponement.
“We hope the election will not be postponed, but if the thing (Ebola) gets wide enough, that might be considered. As of now, there is no need for that,” he said.
The 2027 general election is expected to begin in January, with political parties and aspirants already making preparations ahead of the polls.
The NCDC chief’s remarks come amid concerns about the potential impact of the outbreak on public gatherings and other activities that could increase the risk of disease transmission if the situation deteriorates.
He maintained that any decision to postpone the election would be based on public health considerations, rather than political interests.
Responding to concerns that the outbreak could be used for political purposes, Idris dismissed the suggestion, insisting that health authorities would not exploit the situation for political gain.
“We in the health sector will not use disease issues as a political weapon. No government will use Ebola as a political weapon,” he said.
The NCDC director-general explained that Nigeria had been monitoring developments in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), where the outbreak originated, and had anticipated the possibility of the virus reaching the country.
He identified population movements, international air travel and activities at the nation’s ports of entry as factors that heightened the risk of importing the disease.
According to Idris, surveillance efforts were informed by developments in the DRC, although the possibility of the virus entering Nigeria could not be completely ruled out.
“This Ebola thing started in DRC a couple of months ago and we were tracking. They said for you to track again there is a possibility that it may get here due to our population movement, flight into this country, and ports of entry, yet it came,” he said.
He reiterated that the government would not use the outbreak as a political tool, while expressing hope that containment efforts would prevent any disruption to the 2027 electoral process.
