The Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo State, Jarrett Tenebe, has come to the defense of Governor Monday Okpebholo following public criticism over his difficulty in presenting the 2025 budget figures.
The incident occurred on Tuesday during the governor’s presentation of the 2025 Appropriation Bill to the Edo State House of Assembly.
A video of the presentation quickly spread online, showing the governor stumbling repeatedly as he tried to articulate the budget amount.
In the viral footage, Governor Okpebholo, looking visibly confused, said, “The Edo State 2025 Appropriation Bill of 6 billion… 650… 605 billion… 76 thou… 76 million… Let me take it again. 506 billion… 605 billion… sorry… 776 billion… sorry, it’s confusing me.”
Reacting to the widespread criticism, Tenebe dismissed the incident as a minor human error, saying it did not diminish the governor’s credibility.
“Social media has been agog with our governor’s budget presentation about a mistake on 650 billion and the rest of it all. It’s a normal thing. Humans make such mistakes, and a lot of people make such mistakes,” Tenebe said in a video message shared on Wednesday.
He further defended Governor Okpebholo’s character, stating that the error was proof of his honesty and contrasted him with previous leaders in the state. “That is how to know original and innocent people. Monday is not a thief, so he’s not familiar with figures,” Tenebe remarked.
Tenebe urged critics to focus on the governor’s achievements rather than dwelling on the slip-up, emphasizing that Okpebholo has been performing well in office.
He also dismissed the backlash as unnecessary, concluding with a sharp retort to detractors: “He’s the governor of the state, he’s performing, and he will continue to perform. And anybody who does not like his face should go to hell and burn to ashes, period, and thank you.”
The proposed budget, titled “Budget of Renewed Hope for a Rising Edo,” is estimated at N605 billion, representing a 25% increase from the 2024 budget.
