The Presidency has clarified that former Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Wale Edun, and former Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Ahmed Musa Dangiwa, resigned from the Federal Executive Council and were not sacked by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
In a State House press release issued Tuesday by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the Presidency said both ministers voluntarily tendered their resignations before their replacements were announced.
According to the statement, Edun submitted his resignation letter on Monday, citing health reasons. The letter was submitted on his 70th birthday, following what the Presidency described as “recent ill health.”
“It has been a pleasure and privilege to serve your administration and the Renewed Hope Agenda,” Edun wrote in his resignation letter to President Tinubu. “Under your leadership, Nigeria has emerged stronger, more resilient and more internationally respected. I wish you and the administration every success in the future.”
Before the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation announced his departure from the Cabinet on Tuesday, Edun paid a valedictory visit to the President at the Villa. He held an hour-long discussion with Tinubu before leaving to focus on his private businesses.
Ahmed Musa Dangiwa also resigned from his position as Minister of Housing and Urban Development and thanked the President for the opportunity to serve in the Federal Executive Council.
Dangiwa, an architect, previously served as Managing Director of the Federal Mortgage Bank from 2015 to 2022 and as Secretary to the Katsina State Government. He was appointed housing minister by President Tinubu in August 2023.
Edun, an economist and investment banker, served as Lagos State Commissioner for Finance between 1999 and 2004 during Tinubu’s tenure as governor. His career spans decades in banking and finance. He worked at Chase Merchant Bank, later Continental, in Lagos from 1980 to 1986 before joining the World Bank in September 1986 through its Young Professionals program, where he worked on economic and financial packages for countries in Latin America and the Caribbean.
In 1989, he co-founded Investment Banking & Trust Company Limited, now Stanbic IBTC, and served as executive director. He founded Denham Management Limited in 1994, which has since become the Chapelhill Denham Group. He served as its chairman from 2008 to 2021.
President Tinubu expressed deep appreciation to both Edun and Dangiwa for their dedicated service and significant contributions to the administration’s economic reform programme. He wished them continued success in their future endeavours.
The President also 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.”
Meanwhile, the Presidency confirmed that President Tinubu will shortly send the name of Muttaqha Rabe Darma, the ministerial nominee for Housing and Urban Development, to the Senate for confirmation. Like Dangiwa, Darma hails from Katsina State.
The clarification from the State House comes amid public speculation following the cabinet changes announced earlier this week, which saw Edun and Dangiwa exit the Federal Executive Council as part of a minor reshuffle.
