The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Wale Edun, is recuperating at his Abuja residence after taking ill, multiple sources in the Presidency confirmed to News men on Sunday.
Presidential officials dismissed widespread rumours that the 69-year-old minister had suffered a stroke or been flown abroad for treatment.
“Yes, he’s indisposed. He’s sick, which is a bit serious, but it’s not a stroke,” a senior government source said, noting that Edun remains at home and under medical observation.
Another official explained that the minister is currently being treated by Nigerian doctors and may only travel abroad if specialists recommend it. “They’re still monitoring him. If he needs medical care outside Nigeria, he will go. But he’s still at home,” the source said, adding that there are no plans to replace him.
Confirming the development, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, stated, “Yes, he’s indisposed. Wale Edun is about 69 years old. He suddenly fell ill. As we are talking, he is in Nigeria, recuperating.”
The clarification comes amid reports by The Whistler alleging that President Bola Tinubu was considering replacing Edun following his health challenges.
Earlier, the Presidency had announced that Edun would not be attending the 2025 World Bank and International Monetary Fund Annual Meetings in Washington, D.C., scheduled to begin Monday, October 14. In his absence, the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Olayemi Cardoso, will lead the Nigerian delegation.
Appointed on August 28, 2023, Edun has played a key role in President Tinubu’s economic reform agenda, driving fiscal policies aimed at stabilising the naira, curbing inflation, and boosting foreign investment.
At the time of filing this report, the Ministry of Finance had yet to issue an official statement on the minister’s health.
