The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has said the 2027 general elections could be postponed if the Ebola outbreak spreads widely across the country.
NCDC Director General, Jide Idris, said the government might consider postponing the elections if the outbreak becomes severe enough to pose a major public health threat.
The 2027 general elections are scheduled to begin in January, while politicians seeking elective positions have already started their campaigns.
However, concerns have emerged over the Ebola outbreak reported in Nigeria in recent days as the country prepares for the elections.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today, Idris said health issues should not be used as political tools.
He expressed hope that the elections would go ahead as planned, stressing that there was currently no need to postpone them.
“We hope the election will not be postponed, but if the thing gets wide enough, that might be considered. As of now, there is no need for that,” he said.
Idris explained that health officials had been monitoring the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) for months before it reached Nigeria.
He said the movement of people, international flights and activities at the country’s entry points were among the factors that made it possible for the disease to spread into Nigeria.
The NCDC chief also dismissed concerns that the government might use the outbreak to influence the election process.
He insisted that public health concerns should not be turned into political weapons, adding that any decision on postponing the elections would depend on how widely the disease spreads.
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