By Abigail Philip David
The Edo State Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Jarrett Tenebe, has defended Governor Monday Okpebholo following backlash over the governor’s difficulty presenting the 2025 budget figures during his address to the State House of Assembly on Tuesday.
A video of the incident, which went viral on social media, showed Governor Okpebholo repeatedly stumbling over the budget’s total amount, appearing visibly flustered as he attempted to articulate the figures.
In the video, the governor 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.”*
Responding to the controversy, Tenebe dismissed the criticism as unwarranted, attributing the governor’s slip to human error.
“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 posted on X (formerly Twitter) by *Edo Updates* on Wednesday.
The APC chair argued that the incident highlighted Okpebholo’s honesty and integrity, claiming it set him apart from 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 stated.
He urged critics to focus on the governor’s performance rather than his verbal misstep.
“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,” Tenebe concluded.
A Budget of Hope
Governor Okpebholo presented the *2025 Appropriation Bill*, titled the “Budget of Renewed Hope for a Rising Edo,” proposing N605 billion for the year. The figure represents a 25% increase from the 2024 budget.
Despite the criticism over his presentation, supporters argue that the proposed budget underscores the administration’s commitment to development and progress in the state.
