Oyo Has No Confirmed Diphtheria Case, Govt Accuses Alli Campaign of Spreading Lies

The Oyo State Government has debunked 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.

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The government accused the campaign organisation of misrepresenting disease surveillance figures and using a public health concern for political messaging.

According to a statement issued by the government, figures from the Ministry of Health’s Diphtheria Outbreak Surveillance Update for Epidemiological Week 40 of 2026 showed suspected cases in 10 local government areas, but no confirmed case in the state.

This contradicts SSACO’s claim that 16 local government areas were affected by the disease, the government said.

The campaign organisation had listed 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 as affected areas.

The government, however, maintained that the figures did not support the campaign organisation’s claim, warning that inaccurate reports about disease outbreaks could cause unnecessary public anxiety.

The Commissioner for Health, Dr Oluwaserimi Ajetunmobi, said the state had activated response measures despite the absence of confirmed cases.

These include activating rapid response teams, isolating and treating suspected cases at the Infectious Disease Centre, Olodo, and securing antibiotic supplies while requesting buffer stocks of diphtheria antitoxin.

The government said the measures were part of its preparedness efforts to ensure suspected cases were promptly managed.

It also challenged SSACO’s claim that Oyo ranked lowest in childhood immunisation coverage across the South-West, saying the 2025–2026 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey figures showed that the state’s basic antigen coverage was at the regional average, while its full national immunisation schedule coverage for children aged 24 to 35 months exceeded the South-West average.

On the Immunization Plus component of the IMPACT Project, the government described SSACO’s presentation of project funding and immunisation figures as misleading, arguing that the project covers multiple components and that its financial records should be assessed within the established audit and disclosure framework.

The government said it remained open to scrutiny through appropriate channels but urged political organisations to avoid making claims about public health without evidence.

It maintained that there was no confirmed diphtheria case in Oyo State and called for accurate reporting on disease surveillance and childhood immunisation.