The Presidency has stated that the immediate past Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, left his position on health grounds, dismissing reports suggesting he was dismissed from office.
A State House statement released by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, clarified that Edun had voluntarily tendered his resignation prior to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s announcement of his successor on Tuesday.
The statement further disclosed that the former Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Ahmed Musa Dangiwa, also stepped down and expressed appreciation to the President for the opportunity to serve in the Federal Executive Council.
According to the release, Edun, who marked his 70th birthday on Monday and is reported to have recently experienced health challenges, submitted his resignation letter on the same day.
“It has been a pleasure and privilege to serve your administration and the Renewed Hope Agenda”, his letter read.
“Under your leadership, Nigeria has emerged stronger, more resilient and more internationally respected.
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“I wish you and the administration every success in the future”, he wrote.
The statement added that before his departure was formally announced by the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Edun met with the President at the Presidential Villa, where they held a closed-door discussion lasting about an hour.
Edun, an economist and investment banker, previously served as Lagos State Commissioner for Finance from 1999 to 2004 under then Governor Bola Tinubu.
He also worked at Chase Merchant Bank in Lagos between 1980 and 1986 before joining the World Bank in September 1986 under its Young Professionals programme, where he handled economic and financial assignments across Latin America and the Caribbean.
In 1989, he co-founded Investment Banking & Trust Company Limited, now Stanbic IBTC, and later founded Denham Management Limited in 1994, currently known as Chapelhill Denham Group, where he served as chairman from 2008 to 2021.
President Tinubu commended both Edun and Dangiwa for their contributions to the administration’s economic reform agenda and wished them well in their future endeavours.
He also directed the new Minister of Finance, Taiwo Oyedele, to build on ongoing reforms and further advance the government’s fiscal policy objectives.