The Peoples Democratic Party has given the federal government a 48-hour ultimatum to declare the whereabouts of the Chinese medical team brought in to assist in the fight against the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country.

The lead opposition party made the demand in a statement released on Saturday, May 16, by its spokesperson, Kola Ologbondiyan.

Recall that the minister of health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, had said he cannot account for the whereabouts of the Chinese team.

According to the PDP, Ehanire’s statement has heightened apprehension that the Chinese team might have been brought in by a certain “cabal” for another purpose outside the general public good.

The party described as suspicious, creepy and weird that the health minister, who had assured that the Chinese were brought to render medical services and training and went personally to receive them at the airport, can no longer account for the team.

“Our party is worried that the APC-led federal government is being economical with the truth, with its officials playing politics with the lives of our citizens and health safety of our nation,” the statement reads partly.

The PDP's statement has drawn heated reactions on Facebook.

Ikechukwu Daniel said: "If our health ministry cannot account for their whereabout, what of DSS, NIA, Police. If not, they are Boko Haram expatriate team and should be declared wanted."

"They shouldn't tell us that they don't know their way about, they were the ones who invited them, the federal government should stop this nonsense game and provide them with immediate effect," Paul Chidi said.

Ikpeama Chinomso commented: "So PDP as an opposition are not monitoring activities in the country. If PDP can not tell Nigeria that there eyes are on this Chinese people then they should forget Nigeria government forever.

"When APC were an opposition they quote them wrong not putting questions on them. All the time what we will be hearing we give you hours to tell Nigerians. Even when they failed to do so, what do you people do, nothing. So stop all this craps."

"The APC led administration has disappointed Nigerians. This is indeed a direct betrayal of public trust, and is about exposing our healths to danger," Ja'might Ajuzieogu commented.

Peter Daniel Abarshi also said: "Where are the 4th estate of the realm. Where is the much touted investigative Journalism? Are they silenced by corruption?! We need answers on the whereabouts of these so called Chinese experts."

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that the PDP alleged that it was a huge scam for the federal government to claim it is still carrying out the school feeding programme when schools are shut due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The spokesman for the PDP, Ologbondiyan, in a statement on Thursday, May 14, alleged that some officials in Buhari’s government were trying to siphon N13.5 billion under the guise of feeding school children during the lockdown.

In another report, prominent Nigerian lawyer, Chief Femi Falana, SAN, has accused the federal government of not being accountable and transparent in its management of the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to Falana, the lackadaisical nature of the Nigerian government spans throughout all the levels of the government, notably the state governments.

Falana made the statement on Friday, May 15 during a virtual event hosted by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERA).