The All Progressives Congress (APC) has been challenged to explain the whereabouts of the ₦10 billion President Bola Tinubu reportedly ordered released for Ebola preparedness, after the party said the funds remained untouched despite a confirmed case in Abuja.This was contained in a statement issued by Phrank Shaibu, Director of Strategic Communication of the ADC Presidential Campaign Council on Friday.

The challenge followed the APC’s response to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s questions about the government’s preparedness and the handling of the emergency funds.Criticising the party’s response, Atiku’s camp described the wordplay as a distraction from the urgent questions surrounding the government’s handling of the public health emergency.

It argued that Nigerians deserved documentary evidence showing whether the money had been released, where it was being held and why it had allegedly not been deployed.On June 9, the Presidency announced that Tinubu had ordered the immediate release of ₦10 billion for Ebola emergency preparedness.However, the APC’s subsequent claim that the funds remained untouched has raised questions about the implementation of that directive.

The statement challenged the APC to clarify whether the funds had been released and, if so, identify the account holding the money, the officials responsible for its management and the reasons for the delay in deployment.Atiku camp tasked the APC with publishing the relevant release documents, account records and expenditure reports of the task force responsible for the preparedness programme.

The statement maintained that political attacks against Atiku would not resolve the questions surrounding the emergency fund.It also questioned the government’s response timeline following the confirmation of the Ebola case.

Citing the World Health Organisation’s account, the statement said the patient developed symptoms on October 7, sought treatment at a private health facility on October 11 and received laboratory confirmation on October 20.It asked when health officials first suspected Ebola, when public health authorities were alerted, when testing was ordered and when contact tracing commenced.

The APC had argued that an infected person could not transmit Ebola before symptoms appeared but the statement said that position did not address the questions surrounding the response after the patient developed symptoms.It also challenged the ruling party to provide details of its claim that surveillance systems had alerted the government to the case.

The party was asked to identify the agency that raised the alarm, state when the alert was issued and explain the action taken by the relevant authorities.The statement noted that the 44 identified contacts required effective monitoring and protection, adding that the government needed to demonstrate that adequate personnel, equipment and resources were available to prevent further transmission.

It also stressed the need to protect health workers involved in treating the patient and tracing contacts.Questioning the government’s preparedness, it said, should not be interpreted as an attack on frontline health workers, who require adequate equipment and resources to carry out their duties.

The statement further cautioned against using the health emergency to interfere with political campaigns or voting.It urged the government to publish any proposed restrictions, explain their medical justification and disclose the advice of relevant health authorities.

It maintained that public health measures should be guided by medical evidence and designed to protect lives rather than serve political interests.The statement reiterated that the Presidency’s June announcement and the APC’s subsequent claim that the funds remained untouched required clarification.

It called on the government to account for the ₦10 billion, provide a clear timeline of its response to the Ebola case and demonstrate that adequate measures were in place to protect health workers and monitor identified contacts.It said Nigerians deserved documented answers about the emergency fund and the government’s preparedness rather than political exchanges over the similarity between the names Bola and Ebola.