…playing politics with public health
The Oyo State Government has dismissed claims by the Senator Sharafadeen Alli Campaign Organisation (SSACO) that diphtheria is affecting several local government areas in the state, insisting that no case of the disease has been confirmed.
The government accused the campaign organisation of spreading misinformation and politicising public health concerns, warning that unverified claims about disease outbreaks could trigger unnecessary public anxiety.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, October 13, 2026, and signed by the Special Adviser to Governor Seyi Makinde on Media, Dr Sulaimon Olanrewaju, the government said surveillance data from the Ministry of Health did not support SSACO’s claim that diphtheria was affecting multiple local government areas.
According to the statement, the Honourable Commissioner for Health, Dr Oluwaserimi Ajetunmobi, clarified that the Ministry of Health’s Diphtheria Outbreak Surveillance Update for Epidemiological Week 40 of 2026 recorded suspected cases in only 10 local government areas, with none confirmed.
The government said SSACO had listed 16 local government areas as affected, including Atisbo, Ibadan North-West, Oyo West, Akinyele, Saki, Egbeda, Oriire, Ibadan North, Ibadan South-West, Iwajowa, Ona Ara, Atiba, Lagelu, Ogbomoso North, Surulere and Oluyole.
It described the campaign organisation’s claims as inconsistent with the available surveillance figures, arguing that presenting suspected cases as evidence of an outbreak could mislead residents about the state’s public health situation.
“The government notes, with concern, SSACO’s growing propensity for deploying lies and misinformation in pursuit of political traction,” the statement said.
It added that the latest allegations followed what it described as a pattern of distorting public health information and using sensitive issues to score political points.
The government maintained that disease surveillance and childhood immunisation should be treated as matters of public safety rather than partisan political disputes.
Despite the absence of confirmed diphtheria cases, the state government said it had activated preparedness and response measures to manage suspected infections and prevent a potential outbreak.
According to the statement, the Public Health Emergency Operations Centre had procured antibiotic supplies and requested buffer stocks of diphtheria antitoxin (DAT), a key treatment used in managing the disease.
It added that rapid response teams had been activated to handle suspected cases in line with the 7-1-7 framework for detecting, notifying and responding to public health threats.
The government further disclosed that suspected cases had been isolated and treated at the Infectious Disease Centre, Olodo, with diphtheria antitoxin and appropriate antibiotics.
“These steps reflect a government that takes public health seriously and acts proactively to protect its people,” the statement said.
On childhood immunisation, the government also rejected SSACO’s claim that Oyo State ranked last among states in the South-West region.
The campaign organisation had reportedly claimed that Oyo’s immunisation coverage rose from 51.3 per cent in the 2024 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) to 55 per cent in the 2025–2026 survey, placing the state at the bottom of the regional ranking.
However, the government said the figures cited by SSACO were inaccurate and inconsistent with the verified 2025–2026 Nigeria Mini Demographic and Health Survey (NmDHS) data.
According to the statement, Oyo State’s basic antigen coverage was at the South-West regional average, while its coverage under the national immunisation schedule exceeded the zonal average.
It further stated that among children aged 24 to 35 months, the state’s full national immunisation schedule coverage was above the South-West average.
The government argued that these figures contradicted SSACO’s claim that Oyo was the worst-performing state in the region in childhood immunisation.
The statement also faulted the campaign organisation’s criticism of Oyo State’s participation in the Immunization Plus component of the IMPACT Project, describing its interpretation of the programme’s funding and performance indicators as misleading.
It said the project comprised multiple components and that comparing cumulative funds received under the initiative with a single immunisation indicator did not provide a sound basis for assessing performance.
“The funds received under IMPACT are not free money, and the government has used them strictly for their intended purposes,” the statement said.
The government challenged SSACO to provide specific evidence of alleged financial mismanagement rather than relying on what it described as unrelated figures and unverified claims.
On the campaign organisation’s demand for the publication of IMPACT reports, the government said the project’s financial and implementation reporting was subject to established audit and disclosure procedures.
It added that the Ministry of Health remained open to scrutiny through appropriate channels, including the project’s audit process.
“Scrutiny is legitimate; using an unverified outbreak as a stage for political messaging is not,” the statement said.
Reiterating its position, the government said no diphtheria case had been confirmed in Oyo State, while assuring residents that surveillance and response mechanisms remained active.
It also pledged to continue responding promptly to suspected cases and strengthening vaccination efforts to protect children across the state.
The government urged the public to rely on verified information from relevant health authorities, warning against the circulation of unsubstantiated claims capable of creating confusion over disease surveillance and immunisation.
It maintained that public health communication should be guided by accurate data and evidence, rather than political considerations.