‘Ebola may force postponement of 2027 elections’ – NCDC

The Director-General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), Jide Idris, has said a widespread Ebola outbreak could prompt the government to consider postponing the 2027 general election, although he stressed that there is currently no need for such a move.

Idris made the remarks during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today, where he discussed the potential implications of the outbreak for the country’s preparations for the forthcoming elections.

According to him, the possibility of postponement would depend on the extent of the outbreak, adding that public health concerns should not be exploited for political purposes.

“We hope the election will not be postponed, but if the thing gets wide enough, that might be considered. As at now, there is no need for that,” he said.

The NCDC chief also rejected suggestions that the government could use the outbreak as a political instrument, insisting that disease control and public health interventions should not be politicised.

“We in the health sector did not use disease issues as a political weapon,” Idris said.

He explained that health authorities had been monitoring the Ebola situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) before the reported spread of the disease to Nigeria.

According to him, Nigeria’s population movements, international flights and activities at ports of entry were among the factors that made the country vulnerable to the possible importation of the virus.

“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.

Idris reiterated that no government should use an outbreak as a political weapon, emphasising the importance of responding to public health threats based on the prevailing situation.

The 2027 general election is approaching amid preparations by political parties and aspirants seeking elective offices.

However, the NCDC director-general’s comments do not amount to an announcement that the elections will be postponed. He maintained that postponement was not currently necessary and could only be considered if the outbreak became sufficiently widespread.

Any decision affecting the election timetable would require an official announcement from the relevant authorities.

Follow Very Nigerian WhatsApp Channel
For Verified Breaking News, Exclusive Reports, Trending Stories, And Real-time Updates.
CLICk HERE TO JOIN!