The Presidency has confirmed that Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, is ill but dismissed reports that he suffered a stroke or that President Bola Tinubu is searching for his replacement.
Speculations over Mr Edun’s health surfaced at the weekend after reports suggested he had been flown abroad for emergency medical treatment following a stroke. The reports also claimed that President Tinubu had begun discreet consultations to find a possible successor.
However, officials from the Presidency described the claims as false and exaggerated, insisting that the minister is currently 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,” the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, told Punch on Sunday evening.
Another senior government source confirmed that Mr Edun was being attended to by Nigerian doctors and might only seek medical attention abroad if the need arises.
“He’s being treated here. If the doctors recommend otherwise, he may travel, but for now, he’s at home and responding well to treatment,” the source said, adding that there were no plans to replace him.
The Presidency’s statement came amid reports that the Central Bank Governor, Olayemi Cardoso, will now lead Nigeria’s delegation to the 2025 World Bank and International Monetary Fund Annual Meetings in Washington D.C., which begin on Monday, October 14.
Mr Onanuga explained that Mr Cardoso, as the alternate governor, will represent the country “in place of the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, who is indisposed.”
Meanwhile, President Tinubu departed Abuja on Sunday for Rome, Italy, to participate in the Aqaba Process Heads of State and Government Meeting, which will focus on regional security challenges in West Africa.
Appointed in August 2023, Mr Edun has been a key member of President Tinubu’s economic team, spearheading reforms to stabilise the naira, curb inflation, and drive fiscal discipline. Before his federal appointment, he served as Lagos State Commissioner for Finance during Tinubu’s tenure as governor from 1999 to 2004.
Mr Edun’s temporary absence comes at a critical time for Nigeria’s economy, which continues to grapple with foreign exchange volatility, high inflation, and rising debt levels.
