Mr. Wale Edun, Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, has traveled to the United Kingdom for medical treatment, numerous people close to the situation stated on Tuesday morning.
The report, first published by the Western Post, was confirmed by a source who previously told The PUNCH that the minister may seek medical assistance abroad if necessary.
On Tuesday, the insider verified that the decision had been taken, stating, “Yes, he has already left.”
On Monday night, Edun took a commercial flight from Abuja to Lagos.
Later that night, he flew to London on a British Airways flight.
Until his departure, presidency officials who spoke with our correspondent on Sunday stated that Edun was recovering at his Abuja home under the supervision of Nigerian physicians.
According to the sources, the minister became ill in recent days, although prior rumors that he had a stroke or was disabled were denied.
A senior government official, who spoke on condition of anonymity for lack of authorization to speak to the press on the matter, stated that Edun’s condition was being monitored closely.
“Yes, he’s indisposed. He’s sick, which is a bit serious, but it’s not a stroke. As I’m talking to you, he’s in his house. He’s not been flown anywhere,” the source had said on Sunday evening.
The official, however, revealed that doctors might recommend foreign medical care if necessary, a decision that has now been made.
Another person acquainted with the case said that Edun’s medical condition had drawn the president’s notice but added that “there are no plans to replace him.”
Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, acknowledged that the minister had become ill and was first undergoing treatment 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 on Sunday.
The presidency had previously denied rumors that President Bola Tinubu was seeking a replacement for the finance minister.
However, it was confirmed that the minister would not attend this year’s World Bank and International Monetary Fund Annual Meetings in Washington, D.C.
According to Onanuga, Central Bank Governor Olayemi Cardoso will lead Nigeria’s team to the global finance conference, which begins today, Tuesday, October 14.
Edun was appointed on August 28, 2023, and has played a prominent role in the Tinubu administration’s economic reform effort, supervising the removal of petrol subsidies, the unification of foreign currency rates, and budgetary measures aimed at stabilizing the naira and reducing inflation.
He was Lagos State Commissioner for Finance under Tinubu’s administration from 1999 to 2004, after which he co-founded investment banking firm Denham Management Limited.
At the time of this report, the Ministry of Finance had not published an official comment regarding the minister’s whereabouts.
