The Edo State Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Jarrett Tenebe, has defended Governor Monday Okpebholo after the governor faced criticism for stumbling over figures during the presentation of the 2025 Appropriation Bill to the State House of Assembly.
A viral video of the presentation showed Okpebholo struggling to accurately state the budget’s total amount. In the clip, the governor appeared visibly flustered, saying:
“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.”
Responding to the backlash, Tenebe dismissed the criticism as unwarranted, describing the incident as a simple human error.
“Social media has been buzzing with our governor’s budget presentation, focusing on a mistake regarding 650 billion and other figures. It’s a normal thing—humans make such mistakes,” Tenebe said in a video shared on X.com via Edo Updates on Wednesday.
He further argued that the governor’s slip-up reflected his honesty, contrasting him with previous administrations in the state.
“That is how you identify genuine and innocent leaders. Monday is not a thief, so he’s not accustomed to manipulating figures,” Tenebe remarked.
The APC chairman urged critics to focus on the governor’s overall performance rather than a minor error during the presentation.
“He is the governor, he is performing, and he will continue to perform. Anyone who doesn’t like it should go to hell and burn to ashes, period,” Tenebe concluded.
Governor Okpebholo’s proposed 2025 budget, titled “Budget of Renewed Hope for a Rising Edo,” is estimated at N605 billion, marking a 25% increase from the 2024 budget.
