The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has said the 2027 general elections could be postponed if the Ebola outbreak in the country spreads to a level that poses a significant public health threat.
The Director-General of the agency, Jide Idris, disclosed this during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today, noting that although postponement remains undesirable, it could be considered if the situation worsens.
Idris said there was currently no need to postpone the elections, expressing hope that the outbreak would be contained before it poses a major threat to electoral activities.
“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 2027 general elections are scheduled to begin in January 2027, with politicians seeking various elective positions already stepping up their political activities ahead of the polls.
However, concerns over the reported Ebola outbreak have raised questions about the potential impact of the disease on public gatherings, political campaigns and the conduct of the elections if the spread becomes widespread.
The NCDC chief explained that Nigeria had been monitoring developments surrounding the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) before the disease was reported in the country.
According to him, the possibility of the disease spreading to Nigeria had been anticipated because of population movement, international flights and activities at the country’s ports of entry.
“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,” Idris stated.
He, however, dismissed suggestions that the outbreak could be used for political purposes, insisting that public health concerns should not be turned into political weapons.
“No government will use Ebola as a political weapon,” he said.
His remarks suggest that any decision to postpone the elections would depend on the severity of the outbreak and the potential risks to public health, rather than political considerations.
For now, the NCDC has indicated that there is no immediate justification for postponing the 2027 elections, while the possibility remains open if the outbreak becomes more widespread.