Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Wale Edun, is recuperating at his Abuja residence after falling ill, with the Presidency confirming there are no plans by President Bola Tinubu to replace him.
Presidential sources also confirmed that Edun remains in Nigeria and is receiving medical care from local doctors.
“Yes, he’s indisposed. He’s sick, which is a bit serious, but it’s not stroke,” the source clarified.
The official added, “As I’m talking to you, he’s in his house. He has not been flown anywhere. Of course, he might seek medical attention elsewhere if the doctors say that is necessary. So, it’s not true that he has a stroke. He doesn’t have a stroke, which is why we put it in the statement that he is indisposed.”
Another Presidency source also confirmed that Edun is currently being attended to by Nigerian doctors and may only travel abroad for medical care if necessary. “He’s being attended to by Nigerian doctors. They’re still monitoring him. If he needs medical care outside Nigeria, he will go. But he’s still at home,” the source said, stressing further that “there are no plans to replace him.”
“As I’m talking to you, he’s in his house. He has not been flown anywhere. Of course, he might seek medical attention elsewhere if the doctors say that is necessary. So, it’s not true that he has a stroke,” the official explained.
A former aide to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan and investigative journalist, Jackson Ude, also confirmed in a social media post that Edun is recovering, he described reports of his condition as exaggerated and misleading.
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According to Ude, the minister personally debunked the reports of suffering a stroke and reiterated that he remains in Nigeria. “I don’t have stroke. I am in Abuja and feeling better,” Ude quoted him as saying. Adding that he had to cancel his scheduled trip to Washington, D.C., for the 2025 International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank Annual Meetings due to health reasons.
“I got a bit sick and had to stay back to get treatment. I am getting better now,” he added.
The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, also weighed in, affirming that Edun remains 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 evening.
Meanwhile, the Presidency dismissed reports by The Whistler suggesting President Bola Tinubu was considering replacing the minister. Officials insisted there are “no plans to replace him.”
Earlier, the government had announced that Central Bank Governor Olayemi Cardoso would lead Nigeria’s delegation to the IMF and World Bank meetings in Edun’s stead. The global economic meetings are set to begin on Monday, October 14, bringing together finance ministers, central bankers, and global policymakers.
Appointed on August 28, 2023, Wale Edun has played a key role in President Tinubu’s economic team, driving fiscal reforms aimed at stabilising the naira, reducing inflation, and boosting foreign investment. He previously served as Lagos State Commissioner for Finance under Tinubu’s administration between 1999 and 2004.
At press time, the Federal Ministry of Finance has yet to release an official statement, though the minister is said to be steadily recovering under close medical supervision in Abuja.