By Wisdom Ezekiel, Benin.
The Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo State, Jarrett Tenebe, has come to the defense of Governor Monday Okpebholo following criticism over the governor’s missteps during the presentation of the 2025 Appropriation Bill to the State House of Assembly.
A video of the budget presentation, which went viral on social media, shows Governor Okpebholo struggling to accurately state the budget’s total amount. In the video, he repeatedly attempted to articulate the figures, appearing flustered as he 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.”
In response to the viral video, Tenebe dismissed the criticism as unwarranted, describing the governor’s error as a normal human mistake. “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 stated in a video message shared by Edo Updates on X.com.
Tenebe further asserted that the incident underscores Governor Okpebholo’s integrity, suggesting that his unfamiliarity with such figures indicates his honesty. “That is how to know original and innocent people. Monday is not a thief, so he’s not familiar with figures,” he remarked.
The APC chairman urged the public to focus on the governor’s performance rather than his verbal slip during the presentation. “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.
Governor Okpebholo’s proposed budget for 2025 is estimated at N605 billion, marking a 25 percent increase from the previous year’s budget. The Appropriation Bill is entitled “Budget of Renewed Hope for a Rising Edo.”
