The Oyo State Government has declared that there is no confirmed case of diphtheria in the state, dismissing claims by the Senator Sharafadeen Alli Campaign Organisation (SSACO) that the disease is affecting several local government areas.
The government described SSACO’s allegations as misleading and capable of generating unnecessary public anxiety, insisting that available surveillance data do not support the claims.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Special Adviser to Governor Seyi Makinde on Media, Dr Sulaimon Olanrewaju, said official figures from the Ministry of Health’s Diphtheria Outbreak Surveillance Update for Epidemiological Week 40, 2026, recorded suspected cases in 10 local government areas, with none confirmed.
Olanrewaju said SSACO had listed 16 local government areas as affected by the disease, describing the campaign organisation’s figures as inconsistent with official surveillance records.
He accused the organisation of politicising public health concerns and distorting data for political advantage.
The government, however, assured residents that it had activated necessary preparedness and response measures despite the absence of confirmed cases.
According to the statement, the Public Health Emergency Operations Centre has procured antibiotic supplies and requested buffer stocks of diphtheria antitoxin (DAT).
It added that rapid response teams had been activated to handle suspected cases in line with the 7-1-7 framework, while suspected cases had been isolated and treated at the Infectious Disease Centre, Olodo, with appropriate antibiotics and DAT.
On childhood immunisation coverage, the government also rejected SSACO’s claim that Oyo ranked last among South-West states.
Olanrewaju said verified data from the Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) 2025–26 showed that Oyo’s basic antigen coverage was at the South-West average, while its coverage under the full national immunisation schedule exceeded the zonal average for children aged 24 to 35 months.
He described the figures cited by SSACO as inaccurate and said they did not reflect the state’s actual immunisation performance.
The government also defended its participation in the Immunisation Plus component of the World Bank-supported IMPACT Project, arguing that the organisation’s attempt to compare cumulative project receipts with a single immunisation indicator was analytically flawed.
It maintained that the funds were being used for their intended purposes and challenged SSACO to provide specific evidence if it had concerns about alleged mismanagement.
On the demand for the publication of IMPACT financial and implementation reports, the government said reporting was governed by established audit and disclosure procedures, adding that the Ministry of Health remained open to scrutiny through appropriate channels.
The statement reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to responding promptly to suspected disease cases, strengthening childhood vaccination and providing accurate public health information.
The government urged residents to rely on verified information, warning against the use of unconfirmed disease reports to create public panic.
The statement was signed by Olanrewaju on October 13, 2026.
