Saleh Mamman collapsed and landed at the hospital yesterday after learning from President Muhammadu Buhari that his services were no more required.
Mr. Mamman served as power minister since 2019 until he was fired on Wednesday as Mr. Buhari conducted a minor reshuffle of his cabinet members. He was fired alongside agric minister Sabo Nanono.
“He collapsed yesterday and was immediately hospitalised,” an anonymous family source told the press. “He wasn’t expecting to be fired so soon.” The nature of Mr. Mamman’s ailment was not immediately clarified, and his spokesman did not return a request seeking comments as at the time of this report.
The source said Mr. Mamman is quietly receiving treatment at a hospital in Abuja, and the name of the hospital has been withheld as a mark of respect to the former minister’s privacy.
Mr. Mamman, 63, was said to have been living at Transcorp Hilton in Abuja for more than three weeks on the bills of some powerful interests in the power sector, who were hoping he would still be in the office to be able to award lucrative contracts.
“He has been living permanently at Transcorp Hilton since early August,” our sources said. “His bills were being covered by elements in the power sector who were looking forward to more lucrative contracts before the bad news of his dismissal struck yesterday.”
He also reportedly has plans to run for governor in Taraba by 2023, a claim that has not yet been independently verified.