By Ayodele Oni & Akinwale Kasali
President Bola Tinubu has sacked his Minister for Finance and Coordinating Minister of Economy, Mr Wale Edu, in a move that has shocked those who know how close to each other both men are.
Edun, a confidant of the President was a Commissioner in Tinubu’s Government when he was Governor, and later, the Chairman of the President’s Publishing Company which publishes The Nation Newspapers.
However, others said the President was not expected to sacrifice more competence over friendship.
Sacked with Edun is Architect Ahmed Musa Dangiwa, Minister of Housing and Urban Development.
Their removal by President Bola Tinubu followed a minor cabinet reshuffle in the membership of the Federal Executive Council announced on Tuesday.
According to a memo signed by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, the two cabinet members, Mr. Edun and Arc. Dangiwa are to leave the cabinet while their replacements have been named.
Edun was directed to hand over to Mr. Taiwo Oyedele, recently appointed Minister of State, Finance, who is now to take over as Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy.
Also Mr. Muttaqha Rabe Darma, PhD, has been named as the Ministerial nominee for the Housing and Urban Development Ministry.
The memo also directed Dangiwa to hand over to the Minister of State in the Ministry.
The memo stated that “all handing over and taking over processes should be completed on or before close of business on Thursday 23rd April, 2026.”
Explaining the President’s decision, Akume said: “These changes are aimed at strengthening cohesion, synergy in governance as well as achieving more impactful delivery on the economy to Nigerians, through the Renewed Hope Agenda.”
He said the President, in approving the cabinet reshuffle, has fully exercised his powers as conferred on him by Sections 147 and 148 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (1999, as amended).
The President thanked the outgoing Ministers for their services to the nation while wishing them the best in all their future endeavours.
The President, Akume noted, equally assured all cabinet members that “the process of reinvigoration shall be continuous.”
It is not known exactly why Edun was sacked suddenly, but not a few fingers are pointing at the still shaky economy, and especially the embarrassing blocking of the Villa gate on Monday, April 21, by protesting retired Policemen and Women over their pension. They want out of the Contributory Pension Scheme.
For the records, however, not a few people had speculated as soon as Oyedele was appointed Minister of State, Finance, that Edun would soon be out of the Federal Cabinet.
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