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.
While speaking on Channels TV, 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.
During the interview, 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.
Nigeria recorded the index case of Ebola disease on October 20. The wife of a Swiss diplomat who tested positive for the disease has, however, been moved out of Nigeria. The Federal government is currently monitoring 53 contacts traced to the Index case. As of yesterday, no new case of the disease has been recorded.
The Federal government says it will declare Nigeria Ebola-free on December 7 if those being monitored do not develop the disease.
