Ebola: CSOs Decry INEC’s Silence On Health Guidelines As Campaigns Gather Momentum

Civil society leaders have called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to issue clear health guidelines for political campaigns amid the Ebola outbreak, urging the commission to protect public health without undermining democratic participation ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), the National Chairman of the Civil Society Budget Implementation Assessment, Monitoring and Evaluation Committee (CBIAMEC), Comrade Patrick Ogheneyero Onomodeke, and the Executive Director of the Women’s Inclusion, Empowerment and Leadership Development Initiative (WIELD-Initiative), Okeke Amarachi Evangel, made the call in separate statements.

They urged INEC to work with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) and other relevant health authorities to develop evidence-based guidelines for managing large political gatherings as campaign activities intensify.

CISLAC has expressed serious concern over the absence of publicly communicated health safeguards for political campaigns as Nigeria confronts the threat of Ebola ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The organisation insisted that, following the reported confirmation of an imported Ebola case in Abuja on October 20, 2026, INEC must urgently integrate public health protection into its electoral preparations.

The Executive Director of CISLAC and Head of Transparency International Nigeria, Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, told Leadership in a chat that political ambition must never take precedence over human lives.

According to him, electoral credibility means little if citizens are exposed to preventable health risks while exercising their democratic rights.

Rafsanjani recalled that in May 2020, ahead of the Edo and Ondo governorship elections, INEC proactively issued guidelines for conducting elections during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“That experience demonstrates that the Commission possesses the institutional capacity to anticipate public health threats. We therefore question why similar preventive arrangements have not been publicly communicated as political rallies and campaign activities intensify.

“INEC must not wait for an outbreak to escalate before recognising its responsibility to protect voters, electoral officials and campaign participants,” Rafsanjani said.

He expressed particular concern over the N10 billion emergency intervention funding reportedly approved by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on June 9, 2026, for Ebola preparedness, alongside the establishment of a Presidential Task Force chaired by his Chief of Staff, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila.

“CISLAC demands full public disclosure of the fund’s release status, management, expenditure, procurement processes and measurable results. The Presidency and the Task Force must explain how these resources are strengthening disease surveillance, public awareness, emergency response and community protection.

“Approving billions of naira is not an achievement in itself; the real measure of success is how effectively the money protects Nigerian lives. Public health funds must deliver public health results, not disappear into administrative secrecy.

“CISLAC particularly expects the Presidential Task Force, INEC, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), the Federal Ministry of Health and state health authorities to establish a coordinated electoral health preparedness framework.

“This collaboration should ensure that available resources, within their approved purposes, support nationwide public enlightenment, evidence-based infection prevention, emergency referral systems and adequate health preparedness at major political gatherings.

“With N10 billion approved for Ebola preparedness, Nigerians deserve to know what has been achieved, what remains outstanding and how electoral activities are being incorporated into national prevention efforts. There must be no duplication, diversion or waste of public resources,” he said.

Rafsanjani warned that Ebola must not become an excuse for selective restrictions on opposition campaigns, political intimidation or the suppression of constitutional freedoms.

He said public health measures must be scientifically justified, proportionate, transparent and applied equally.

“Ebola is transmitted primarily through direct contact with the bodily fluids of infected, symptomatic persons. Therefore, preventive guidelines must reflect the actual risks rather than encourage panic or indiscriminate restrictions on political gatherings. Public health must protect democracy, not become a weapon against it.

“CISLAC calls on INEC to urgently publish electoral health guidelines and demands that the Presidential Task Force provide a transparent public account of the N10 billion intervention, including a clear framework for collaboration with electoral authorities.

“The National Assembly must equally exercise oversight to ensure accountability and value for money. Nigerians cannot be expected to celebrate billion-naira emergency allocations while remaining uncertain about the protection those funds are supposed to provide.

“Our position is unequivocal: public funds must protect public lives, political campaigns must not become preventable health hazards, and no electoral ambition is worth a Nigerian life. Safe elections are essential to credible elections,” Rafsanjani added.

Onomodeke said the commission should introduce appropriate precautionary measures to protect public health while ensuring that the guidelines were applied fairly across all political parties.

He cited the health measures introduced during the 2020 Edo and Ondo governorship elections amid the COVID-19 pandemic as a precedent for addressing public health concerns during electioneering.

“Given the precedent set during the 2020 Edo and Ondo elections amid COVID-19, it is reasonable to expect INEC to engage relevant health authorities and provide clear guidance on managing large political gatherings in the context of the Ebola outbreak,” he said.

He warned against politicising public health concerns ahead of the 2027 general elections, stressing that any measures adopted must be based on scientific evidence and professional health advice.

According to him, political parties should retain their democratic freedom to campaign and engage voters but must conduct their activities responsibly, with appropriate safeguards where necessary.

He identified public health awareness, access to hygiene facilities and clear safety protocols recommended by health authorities as practical measures for reducing potential health risks at political gatherings.

“As Chairman of CBIAMEC, I believe the priority should be to protect lives without undermining democratic participation,” Onomodeke said.

He urged INEC and relevant government agencies to demonstrate preparedness, transparency and fairness in addressing public health concerns rather than allowing the issue to become a source of political controversy.

Similarly, Evangel said INEC should have issued clear health guidelines in consultation with the NCDC and other relevant authorities as campaign activities entered a new phase.

She argued that the experience of the Edo and Ondo governorship elections during the COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated that public health safeguards could be implemented alongside credible electoral processes.

“We believe INEC should have issued clear guidelines, developed with the NCDC and health authorities, as campaigns entered a new phase amid the Ebola outbreak,” she said.

Evangel said public health considerations should be addressed proactively and responsibly, adding that preventive measures must be clear, proportionate and supported by scientific evidence.

She stressed that such measures should protect public safety without unnecessarily restricting political participation or creating perceptions of political interference in the electoral process.

According to her, INEC must ensure that decisions on campaign health protocols are transparent, clearly communicated and subject to accountability.

“Such guidelines should be driven by public health evidence, not politics, so that public health and the right to participate in democratic processes are responsibly balanced,” she said.

Evangel added that public confidence in the electoral process depended on institutions acting transparently, consistently and in the public interest.

The civil society leaders called for stronger collaboration among INEC, public health authorities and political parties to ensure that appropriate safeguards were considered as campaign activities intensified ahead of the 2027 general elections.