Sowore Warns Tinubu May Use Ebola to Limit Voter Turnout

Omoyele Sowore, the African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate for the 2027 general elections, raised concerns that President Bola Tinubu’s administration might exploit the reported Ebola case in Nigeria to suppress voter turnout. In a statement titled “The Ebola Disease: Why Nigerians Must Not Panic But Must Ask Political Questions,” Sowore urged Nigerians to remain vigilant against any attempts to restrict civil liberties or undermine democratic participation.

He questioned the government's handling of the Ebola case, particularly the appointment of Femi Gbajabiamila, Tinubu’s Chief of Staff, to chair the Presidential Task Force on Ebola Preparedness. The federal government confirmed Nigeria's first case of Bundibugyo virus disease on 20 October 2026, involving a woman who arrived from Uganda.

Health authorities identified 44 close contacts and began contact tracing. Sowore warned against using the outbreak to justify restrictions on fundamental freedoms or prevent citizens from participating in elections.