…says ‘he only suddenly fell ill, he’s recuperating’
Presidency says there is no plan to replace the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun.
Presidency made this clarification in a statement on Sunday, stressing that he was recuperating in his Abuja home after falling ill.
It dismissed rumours that Edun suffered a stroke and had been flown a foreign hospital for treatment.
In the statement, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said the Minister is receiving medical care in Nigeria.
“Yes, he’s indisposed. Wale Edun is about 69 years old. He suddenly fell ill. As we are talking, he is in Nigeria. He is recuperating. He’s around,” Onanuga said.
Presidency’s clarification followed speculation that President Tinubu was considering replacing the minister after reports of his ill health emerged late last week.
Earlier, the Presidency had confirmed that Edun would not be attending this year’s World Bank and International Monetary Fund Annual Meetings in Washington, D.C., stating that the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Olayemi Cardoso, would lead Nigeria’s delegation in his stead.
The meetings, which bring together finance ministers, central bankers, and economic experts from around the world, are scheduled to begin on Monday, October 13.
Edun, who was appointed on August 28, 2023, as Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, has been in the forefront of President Tinubu’s fiscal reform agenda, including efforts to stabilise the naira, reduce inflation, and attract foreign investments.
