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Edun: Ailing finance minister flown abroad for treatment

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The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Wale Edun, has travelled to the United Kingdom to seek medical attention, multiple sources close to the development confirmed on Tuesday morning.

The report, first published by Western Post, was confirmed by a source who had earlier told The PUNCH that the minister might seek medical attention abroad if the need arises.

The source confirmed on Tuesday that the decision had now been made, saying, “It’s true, he has left already.”

Edun left Abuja for Lagos on Monday night via a commercial flight.

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He later departed for London aboard a British Airways flight on the same night.

Until his departure, Presidency officials who spoke to our correspondent on Sunday had maintained that Edun was recuperating at his Abuja residence under the care of Nigerian doctors.

The sources said the minister had taken ill in recent days but dismissed earlier rumours that he had suffered a stroke or was incapacitated.

One senior government official, who spoke on condition of anonymity for lack of authorisation to speak to the press on the matter, told The PUNCH that Edun’s condition was being monitored closely.

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“Yes, he’s indisposed. He’s sick, which is a bit serious, but it’s not a stroke. As I’m talking to you, he’s in his house. He’s not been flown anywhere,” the source had said on Sunday evening.

The official, however, added that doctors might recommend foreign medical care if necessary, a decision that has now been made.

Another aide familiar with the matter confirmed that Edun’s medical situation had prompted closer attention from the President but stressed that “there are no plans to replace him.”

The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, also confirmed that the minister had fallen ill but was initially receiving treatment in Nigeria.

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“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.

The Presidency had earlier debunked speculation that President Bola Tinubu was considering a replacement for the finance minister.

However, it confirmed that the minister would miss this year’s World Bank and International Monetary Fund Annual Meetings in Washington, D.C.

According to a statement by Onanuga, the Central Bank Governor, Olayemi Cardoso, would instead lead Nigeria’s delegation to the global finance meetings, which begin today, Tuesday, October 14.

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Appointed on August 28, 2023, Edun has been a key figure in the Tinubu administration’s economic reform drive, overseeing the removal of petrol subsidies, unification of foreign exchange rates, and fiscal measures aimed at stabilising the naira and curbing inflation.

He served as Lagos State Commissioner for Finance under Tinubu’s administration between 1999 and 2004 and later co-founded investment banking firm Denham Management Limited.

At the time of this report, the Ministry of Finance had yet to issue an official statement on the minister’s whereabouts.

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DAY 13 of Projects Commissioning in the FCT

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President Tinubu Will Commission Roads 01 and 02 Linking Mabushi Bus Terminal and Ahmadu Bello Way Today

#FCTRenewedHope
#FCTProjectsCommissioning

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BEWARE: FG warns 26 States of flood, places, Bayelsa, Delta, Lagos, Adamawa, Benue, others as critical risk areas

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The Federal Government has alerted residents of 26 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to the possibility of flooding between June 22 and July 5, 2026, following forecasts of heavy rainfall in different parts of the country.

The warning was issued by the Federal Ministry of Environment through the National Flood Early Warning Centre under its Erosion, Flood and Coastal Zone Management Department.

The ministry said several communities across the country have been identified as areas that could face serious flood threats during the period.

According to the forecast released on June 22, heavy rainfall is expected in many locations, raising concerns about possible flooding in vulnerable communities.

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States placed under the critical-risk category include Abia, Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bayelsa, Benue, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, Edo, Ekiti, Enugu, Imo, Kogi, Kwara, Lagos, Niger, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Oyo and Rivers.

In Abia State, the affected communities include Aba, Arochukwu and Umuahia. In Adamawa, the ministry listed Jimeta and Numan, while Eket, Oron and Uyo were named in Akwa Ibom. In Anambra, Onitsha Inland Town and Awka Urban Drainage Corridors were identified as vulnerable locations.

Bayelsa communities such as Yenagoa, Brass and Nembe Town were also listed among areas that could be affected by flooding.

Other locations mentioned include Makurdi, Gboko and Katsina-Ala in Benue State; Calabar Metropolis and Creek Town in Cross River State; Asaba, Warri and Sapele in Delta State; and Abakaliki, Afikpo and Onueke in Ebonyi State.

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The ministry also identified Benin City Urban Core and Auchi in Edo State, Ado-Ekiti and Ikere-Ekiti in Ekiti State, as well as Enugu, Nsukka and Oji River Town in Enugu State.

In Imo State, Owerri, Orlu and Okigwe were listed, while Lokoja and Ajaokuta were named in Kogi State. Communities such as Ilorin, Jebba and Pategi in Kwara State were also included in the warning.

Several parts of Lagos State were equally listed among the areas at risk.

These include Agege, Alimosho, Apapa, Badagry, Ikeja, Ikorodu, Lagos Island, Lekki and Surulere.

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In Niger State, Bida, Minna, Mokwa, Suleja and Kontagora were identified, while Abeokuta, Ota and Sagamu were listed in Ogun State.

The flood alert further covered Akure, Owo and Okitipupa in Ondo State; Oshogbo, Ile-Ife and Ilesa in Osun State; Ibadan, Ogbomoso and Oyo in Oyo State; as well as Port Harcourt Urban Core, Bonny, Ahoada and Omoku in Rivers State.

Apart from the states under the critical-risk category, the ministry also placed parts of Adamawa, the FCT, Kebbi, Kogi, Nasarawa, Plateau and Taraba states under a high-risk category.

Communities listed in this group include Yola North, Yola South, Mubi and Gurin in Adamawa State; Abuja Municipal, Gwagwalada, Kubwa, Nyanya and Wuse in the FCT; Birnin Kebbi and Argungu in Kebbi State; Bako in Kogi State; and Keffi, Lafia, Karu and Toto in Nasarawa State.

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The warning also covered Jos and Jos North in Plateau State, as well as Jalingo, Wukari, Takum, Serti and Karim Lamido in Taraba State.

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Finally, INEC confirms suspension of staff linked to Emeka Ike’s voter data leak

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Finally, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has confirmed suspended an electoral officer allegedly involved in the voter data leak concerning Nollywood actor and politician, Emeka Ike.

The Commission disclosed that investigations by security agencies and data protection regulators are still ongoing.

INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Haruna, made the disclosure during a fireside chat organised by the Peering Advocacy and Advancement Centre in Africa, PAACA, in Abuja.

The suspension came against the backdrop of a controversy that arose after the voter registration details of actor and politician, Emeka Ike, surfaced online during a dispute linked to a political party primary election in the Federal Capital Territory.

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The electoral body said preliminary findings showed there was no external breach of its ICT infrastructure or compromise of its voter register.

Rather, according to the Commission, the data was allegedly accessed using valid credentials assigned to officials involved in the ongoing CVR exercise and subsequently disclosed without authorisation.

INEC said its audit trail enabled investigators to identify the specific user account used to access the voter record, leading to the questioning of personnel with access to the system.

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