Yobe State has documented 511 cases of diphtheria and 13 deaths from January to 8 September, according to health authorities.

The Commissioner for Health and Human Services, Muhammad Gana, revealed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Damaturu on Thursday.

Mr Gana explained that the 13 deaths corresponded to a case fatality rate of 2.5 per cent, which is lower than in most other affected states across the country.

He affirmed that the outbreak impacted 12 local government areas in the state, and that vaccination plans in these areas were well underway.

Mr Gana further stated that the current total of 511 diphtheria cases was significantly lower than the 1,100 cases reported in September 2025 and previous years.

He attributed the decline since 2023, when the state recorded its highest burden of 3,080 cases, to sustained outbreak response activities.

The activities listed by the Commissioner included providing free medication to victims, training health workers on response strategies, conducting intensive vaccinations in hard-to-reach areas, community engagement, and sensitisation campaigns against the disease.

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Additional efforts involved aggressive contact tracing by health personnel, sharing updates with relevant stakeholders, holding regular coordination meetings, and mobilising resources for outbreak response.

Mr Gana praised the support from WHO, UNICEF, and the African Field Epidemiology Network (AFENET) for assisting the state’s vaccination campaign against diphtheria, especially in nomadic settlements.

Diphtheria is a bacterial infection that primarily affects the throat and upper respiratory tract.

It mainly spreads through respiratory droplets expelled by coughing or sneezing, and occasionally through direct contact with infected skin lesions or contaminated secretions.

The Vice Presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, Rabi’u Kwankwaso, has asked the African Democratic Congress, ADC, presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar to quit his 2027 presidential ambition and support the NDC.

Kwankwaso made this appeal on Thursday while receiving members of the Fulani Farmers Association at his Abuja residence.

He asked Atiku to step down for the NDC ticket, pledging that he would be taken care of if the party wins the presidency.

“Step down for us; if we win, we will take care of you,” Kwankwaso said.

This came following persistent efforts by opposition politicians to unite against President Bola Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress ahead of the 2027 general election.

DAILY POST reports that the former Vice President is one of the major opposition figures seeking the presidency.

Recall that Kwankwaso and the NDC presidential, Peter Obi dumped the ADC for the NDC in May, citing internal divisions and court cases.