JUST IN: President Tinubu’s Minister Poisoned In Abuja

Lola Ade-John, Nigeria’s tourism minister, has been hospitalized in Abuja after suffering acute poisoning from unknown sources, according to Peoples Gazette, as her family members fear time is running out to save her life.

According to family members familiar with her struggle, Lola Ade-John, 60, was brought to the Federal Medical Centre, Jabi, shortly after she began exhibiting symptoms of her poisoning. According to The Gazette, she had been at the facility for four days as of Friday morning.

According to our sources, Ms Ade-John, a career banker and IT investor, has been on a breathing machine. The Gazette was unable to determine what chemical she drank and how she ingested it.

Her worsening situation has further set the family against the government, with the permanent secretary of her ministry said to be in disagreement as to whether she should continue receiving treatment at a public hospital or be moved to a better-equipped private facility downtown.

The permanent secretary, Ngozi Onwudike, was said to have insisted that the minister should not be transferred because the FMC is a public hospital and its services wouldn’t attract substantial charges to the government, a position her family rebuffed. But they remained with her as they could not raise funds to move her to a private hospital, our sources said. A phone number for the permanent secretary did not connect on Friday morning.

A spokesperson for the FMC did not immediately return a request seeking comments from The Gazette about Ms Ade-John’s condition.

Ms Ade-John was appointed as a minister by President Bola Tinubu in August. She was immediately touted as one of the few cabinet members appointed from outside the political beltway. She was based in London for years before she was asked to return to the country to serve by the president.