Nigeria’s Social Democratic Party (SDP) Presidential Candidate, Adewole Adebayo, has opposed any attempt to suspend political campaigns or postpone Nigeria’s 2027 general election over the Ebola outbreak, arguing that public health precautions should not disrupt the country’s electoral process.
The presidential candidate maintained that Nigeria can protect public health while allowing political activities to continue under appropriate health guidelines.
“Ebola is not the biggest public health crisis we have in Nigeria. It is just that whatever the APC government discusses or presides over, there’s always deception, obfuscation, and opportunism involved.
“One single incident of Ebola is not enough to talk about an epidemic. Secondly, we have dealt with Ebola in Nigeria before during the time of Goodluck Jonathan, with Dr (Onyebuchi) Chukwu as Minister of Health.”
Adewole Adebayo
He added, “everybody in Nigeria had a transparent understanding of Ebola. The person who brought it to Nigeria, Patrick Sawyer, from Liberia, the lead consultant physician who treated him then was Dr (Stella) Adadevoh. Everything about it was transparent. But this particular one is shrouded in mystery.”
Adewole Adebayo insisted, “we cannot cancel campaigns, rallies, or shift an important election like the upcoming 2027 poll.”
“The greatest gift anyone can give to support the health of Nigerians is to go to the poll to vote and kick out the APC.”
He nevertheless noted that his campaign would comply with relevant health guidelines while continuing its nationwide mobilisation. He also urged Nigerians to observe precautionary measures and report suspected symptoms to health authorities.
Government Plans Treatment Centres as Contacts Reach 53
Meanwhile, the Federal Government is planning to identify and equip Ebola treatment centres in states with designated ports of entry as Nigeria strengthens its preparedness for the outbreak.
The plans come as the number of identified contacts linked to the country’s confirmed case has risen to 53, highlighting the need for continued monitoring and preparedness measures.
The proposed treatment centres are intended to strengthen the capacity of affected or potentially exposed states to respond to suspected and confirmed infections, particularly in areas connected to international entry points.
While the government has indicated that political campaigns and other large gatherings do not need to be cancelled at this stage, the possibility of restrictions remains under consideration should the public health situation worsen.
SDP Pushes Multilingual Manifesto Ahead of Election
Aside from the Ebola outbreak, Adebayo also highlighted his party’s preparations for the 2027 elections, stating that its manifesto had been translated into numerous Nigerian languages to increase public comprehension of its policies.
“The primary duty of government is security and welfare. If you have studied our manifesto, you will realised it was published in all the major languages namely English, Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba. As we have gone beyond that to further break it down in other languages, which are now in circulation,” he said.
“When we campaign, we want Nigerians to ask questions and cross-examine us on the areas they are clear about in our policy document,” he added.
Moreover, SDP National Chairman Professor Sadiq Gombe praised Adebayo: “This is the first time we have a presidential candidate present his policy document long before the campaign season begins. He is also the first candidate to present his manifesto in all Nigerian languages. This includes Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo, Kanuri, Fulfulde and so on.”
He encouraged Nigerians to engage with the manifesto, critique its proposals and contribute ideas to the party’s policy development.
On behalf of the party’s National Executive Committee, National Working Committee and state chairpersons, including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Gombe presented Adebayo and his running mate, Dr Usman Bugaje, as the SDP’s alternative to the APC in the 2027 election.
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