Presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore has said President Bola Tinubu could capitalise on the detection of Ebola virus in Nigeria to win the 2027 election.

According to him, the virus could prevent voters from mobilising, which might end up in his favour.

Sowore, however, urged Nigerians not to panic or surrender their right to demand answers to questions, especially those regarding Ebola.

He shared on X, "Nigerians have been raising serious concerns since Nigerian authorities announced that a woman who arrived in the country had been diagnosed with the Ebola virus. Some have even questioned whether the Tinubu regime might exploit the Ebola outbreak to demobilise voters ahead of the 2027 general elections.

"These are questions Nigerians have every right to ask. I cannot put anything beyond Tinubu and his political agenda. I firmly believe he knows he cannot win a genuinely free and fair electoral contest, and that is precisely why Nigerians must remain vigilant against any attempt to exploit a public health emergency to suppress democratic participation or manipulate the 2027 elections.

"Public health emergencies must never become excuses for suppressing democratic participation or restricting fundamental freedoms.

"Uganda has reportedly issued an official statement clarifying that the woman diagnosed with Ebola in Nigeria merely transited through Uganda after visiting the Democratic Republic of Congo. Ugandan authorities maintain that they have no confirmed active Ebola cases and have reportedly complained about delays in receiving information from Nigeria concerning the woman’s travel and medical history.

"If these accounts are accurate, why has Nigeria not promptly provided the necessary information? What has happened to our disease surveillance systems, emergency preparedness, and international public health coordination mechanisms?

"Beyond that, serious questions have been raised about the reported appointment of Femi Gbajabiamila, a politician who is not a medical doctor, to chair Nigeria’s Presidential Task Force on Ebola Preparedness. Why should the political leadership of such a critical public health response take precedence over the expertise of qualified epidemiologists, infectious disease specialists, and public health professionals?

"Nigerians must not panic, but neither should they surrender their right to question those in power. Ebola is a serious disease that requires a coordinated, transparent, science-driven response. It must never be politicised, weaponised, or exploited to undermine civil liberties and democratic participation.

"We must demand full disclosure of the facts, effective contact tracing, proper medical intervention, protection for frontline health workers, and independent scientific oversight.

"Nigerians deserve transparency, scientific competence, and accountability, not political bureaucracy or secrecy in the face of a potentially deadly epidemic.

"Public health must protect lives, not become an instrument of political control."

ASA