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 said surveillance data from the Ministry of Health showed suspected cases across 10 local government areas, contrary to SSACO’s claim that 16 councils were affected.
The state’s position was contained in a statement issued on Tuesday by the Special Adviser on Media to Governor Seyi Makinde, Dr Sulaimon Olanrewaju.
According to the statement, the government’s figures were drawn from the Ministry of Health’s Diphtheria Outbreak Surveillance Update for Epidemiological Week 40 of 2026.
Olanrewaju said the campaign organisation’s list of affected areas, which included 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, did not accurately reflect the official surveillance data.
He accused SSACO of misrepresenting public health information and creating unnecessary anxiety over an outbreak that had not been confirmed.
The government, however, disclosed that it had activated preventive and response measures to manage suspected cases and limit the risk of transmission.
According to Olanrewaju, the Public Health Emergency Operations Centre had procured antibiotics and requested reserve supplies of diphtheria antitoxin.
He added that rapid response teams had been activated under the 7-1-7 framework, while suspected cases had been isolated and treated at the Infectious Disease Centre in Olodo with appropriate antibiotics and diphtheria antitoxin.
The statement also rejected SSACO’s claim that Oyo ranked last among South-West states in childhood immunisation coverage.
The campaign organisation had reportedly compared immunisation figures of 51.3 per cent in the 2024 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey with 55.0 per cent in the 2025–2026 survey to argue that the state was performing poorly.
However, the government said data from the 2025–2026 Nigeria Mini Demographic and Health Survey showed that Oyo’s basic antigen coverage was in line with the South-West average, while its coverage under the full national immunisation schedule exceeded the regional average.
It further stated that coverage among children aged 24 to 35 months was above the South-West average.
Olanrewaju described the campaign organisation’s interpretation of the figures as inaccurate, insisting that the official data did not support its conclusion that Oyo ranked at the bottom of the region.
The government also defended its participation in the Immunization Plus component of the IMPACT Project, rejecting SSACO’s use of project funding figures to suggest poor performance in the state’s immunisation programme.
According to the statement, the project covers multiple components, making it misleading to compare cumulative funding receipts with a single immunisation indicator without accounting for the programme’s broader objectives and expenditure requirements.
The government maintained that funds received under the initiative had been used for their designated purposes.
On calls for the publication of IMPACT Project reports, Olanrewaju said financial and implementation reporting followed established audit and disclosure procedures, adding that the Ministry of Health remained open to scrutiny through the appropriate channels.
He urged the campaign organisation to provide specific evidence of alleged financial mismanagement rather than relying on what he described as unverified outbreak claims and misleading comparisons.
The government reaffirmed its commitment to responding to suspected diphtheria cases, strengthening childhood vaccination and providing accurate public health information.
The statement did not include a response from SSACO to the government’s rebuttal.
