2027: Elections May Be Postponed If Ebola Outbreak Persists, Says NCDC

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has said the 2027 general elections could be postponed if the Ebola outbreak spreads widely enough to pose a significant threat to public health.

The Director-General of the NCDC, Dr Jide Idris, disclosed this during an interview with Channels Television, noting that the decision would depend on the severity of the outbreak and its geographical spread.

Idris, however, expressed optimism that the outbreak would be contained without affecting the electoral timetable, stressing that there was currently no reason to consider postponing the polls.

“We hope the election will not be postponed, but if the thing (Ebola) gets wide enough, that might be considered. As of now, there is no need for that,” he said.

The 2027 general elections are expected to commence in January, with political parties and aspirants already making preparations for the polls.

The NCDC chief’s remarks come amid concerns about the potential impact of the outbreak on public gatherings and other activities that could increase the risk of transmission if the situation deteriorates.

He emphasised that any decision to postpone the elections would be driven by public health considerations rather than political interests.

Addressing concerns that the outbreak could be exploited for political purposes, Idris dismissed the suggestion, insisting that public health emergencies should not be used as political tools.

“We in the health sector will not use disease issues as a political weapon. No government will use Ebola as a political weapon,” he said.

The NCDC director-general explained that Nigeria had been monitoring developments in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), where the outbreak originated, and had anticipated the possibility of the virus spreading to the country.

According to him, population movements, international air travel and activities at Nigeria’s ports of entry were among the factors that heightened the risk of importing the disease.

He said surveillance efforts had been guided by developments in the DRC, although the possibility of the virus reaching Nigeria could not be entirely ruled out.

“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. No government will use Ebola as a political weapon,” Idris added.

The NCDC’s position underscores the importance of effective disease surveillance, preparedness and containment measures in protecting public health while safeguarding the conduct of major national activities, including elections.