Edun, Dangiwa resigned, not sacked, Presidency clarifies

• ’Ex-Finance Minister cites health reasons’
• Tinubu urges successor Oyedele to deepen reforms

Former Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr Wale Edun, and ex-Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Ahmed Musa Dangiwa, voluntarily resigned from the Federal Executive Council (FEC), and were not sacked, the presidency said yesterday.

In a statement, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr Bayo Onanuga, said Edun tendered his resignation on health grounds ahead of the announcement of his replacement by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Read Also: Edun, Dangiwa resigned, not sacked — Presidency clarifies

Edun, who turned 70 on Monday and has reportedly battled recent ill health, submitted his resignation letter on his birthday, expressing gratitude to the President for the opportunity to serve.

“It has been a pleasure and privilege to serve your administration and the Renewed Hope Agenda.

“Under your leadership, Nigeria has emerged stronger, more resilient and more internationally respected. I wish you and the administration every success in the future”, he wrote.

The statement explained that the former minister also paid a valedictory visit to the President at the Aso Villa on Tuesday, where he held an hour-long meeting before departing to focus on his private business interests.

Similarly, Dangiwa was said to have resigned his appointment and thanked the President for the opportunity to serve in the cabinet.

Before his appointment as minister in August 2023, Dangiwa, an architect, had served as Managing Director of the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria between 2015 and 2022, and as Secretary to the Katsina State Government.

Edun, an economist and investment banker, previously served as Commissioner for Finance in Lagos State between 1999 and 2004 during Tinubu’s tenure as governor.

He also worked with the World Bank and co-founded Investment Banking & Trust Company Limited (now Stanbic IBTC), among other professional engagements.

President Tinubu, according to the statement, expressed deep appreciation to both former ministers for their dedicated service and contributions to his administration’s economic reform agenda.

“President Tinubu wished them continued success in their future endeavours.

“In the same vein, the President has urged the new Minister of Finance, Taiwo Oyedele, to consolidate ongoing reforms and advance the administration’s fiscal and economic objectives with renewed focus, discipline, and innovation.

“President Tinubu will shortly send the ministerial nominee for housing, Muttaqha Rabe Darma, also from Katsina, like Dangiwa, to the Senate for confirmation”, the statement said.

Adelabu resigns to run for Oyo governorship race

The Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, has resigned his appointment to pursue his governorship ambition in Oyo State on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

A source in the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF) confirmed to The Nation last night that the minister submitted his resignation letter earlier in the evening.

“It’s true, he submitted his resignation; he left our office not long ago,” the source, who spoke to our reporter around 7 p.m., said.

Adelabu’s resignation came hours after two other ministers, Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Mr Wale Edun, and the Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Ahmed Musa Dangiwa, exited the administration.

Adelabu’s reported exit from the Federal Executive Council comes amid renewed political calculations ahead of the next electoral cycle, particularly in Oyo State, where he is expected to seek the APC governorship ticket.

The development also appears to align with an earlier directive by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, which mandated all political appointees intending to contest elective offices to resign their positions on or before March 31.

Although several appointees complied with the directive, Adelabu was not among those who stepped down at the deadline, raising speculation that he might have shelved his governorship ambition.

However, sources familiar with the situation said the former minister has now decided to formally enter the race, prompting his resignation.

Adelabu is no stranger to the Oyo governorship contest, having previously run as the candidate of the Accord Party in the 2023 elections and that of the APC in the 2019 governorship contest.

As of the time of filing this report, there was no official statement from the Presidency or the OSGF confirming the resignation.