The Oyo State Government has said 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 Special Assistant (Media) to Governor Seyi Makinde, Dr Sulaimon Olanrewaju, stated this in a statement issued in Ibadan on Tuesday, accusing the campaign organisation of spreading misinformation and exaggerating the public health situation for political reasons.
Olanrewaju said the Ministry of Health’s Diphtheria Outbreak Surveillance Update for Epidemiological Week 40, 2026, recorded suspected cases in 10 local government areas, but none had been confirmed. He said SSACO’s claim that 16 LGAs were affected was unsupported by official surveillance data.
The government, however, said it had activated response measures for suspected cases, including isolating and treating patients at the Infectious Disease Centre, Olodo. It added that the Public Health Emergency Operations Centre had procured antibiotics and requested buffer stocks of diphtheria antitoxin.
The statement also rejected SSACO’s claims that Oyo ranked lowest in childhood immunisation coverage in the South-West, insisting that verified 2025–2026 survey data placed the state’s basic antigen coverage at the regional average, while its coverage under the national immunisation schedule exceeded the zonal average.
On the Immunisation Plus component of the IMPACT Project, the government said the campaign organisation had drawn misleading conclusions by comparing project funding with a single immunisation indicator. It maintained that the funds were used for their intended purposes and said financial and implementation reports were subject to established audit and disclosure procedures.
The government said it would continue responding to suspected cases and protecting children through vaccination, urging the public to rely on accurate, evidence-based information.