Edo APC Chair Defends Governor Okpebholo Amid Budget Gaffe

Jarrett Tenebe, the chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo State, has come to the defense of Governor Monday Okpebholo after he struggled with figures during the presentation of the state’s 2025 budget proposal.

During a session with lawmakers on Tuesday, Governor Okpebholo had difficulty articulating the figures in the N605 billion appropriation bill, which he highlighted as a 25% increase over the 2024 budget. “The Edo State Appropriation Bill of six billion… 605 billion… 76 million…” the governor began, his voice faltering. After several attempts to clarify the numbers, he admitted, “Sorry, it’s confusing me,” prompting laughter and murmurs in the assembly.

In response to the criticism that followed the incident, Tenebe defended the governor in a video, attributing the struggle to Okpebholo’s honesty and lack of involvement in corrupt practices. “The social media has been abuzz with the governor’s budget presentation and the mistake on N605 billion,” Tenebe said. “It’s a normal thing; people make such mistakes.”

He further added, “I don’t know figures… and that’s how you can tell who the honest and innocent ones are. Monday Okpebholo is not a thief and is not familiar with figures. Anyone who keeps talking is just speaking nonsense.”

Tenebe praised the governor’s performance, dismissing his critics by stating, “He is the governor of the state. He is performing and will continue to perform. If anyone doesn’t like his face, they should go to hell and burn to ashes. Period!”

The APC chair’s comments triggered mixed reactions, with some applauding his loyalty to the governor, while others questioned the justification for Okpebholo’s public misstep.