Edo State chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Jarret Tenebe, has rationalised the inability of the State governor, Senator Monday Okpebolo, to accurately read out the budget figures he presented to the Edo State House of Assembly on Tuesday.

A video of Okpebholo struggling to pronounce the figure for the state’s 2025 budget went viral shortly after he made the presentation, sparking widespread reactions across the country.

The governor, who was recently sworn in, presented his first Appropriation Bill of N605 billion for the 2025 fiscal year at the Edo State House of Assembly on Tuesday, December 10.

But justifying Okpebholo’s inexcusable gaffes, Tenebe said he was unfamiliar with figures because he was not a thief.

According to Tenebe, “The social media has been agog with our governor’s budget presentation, about mistake on N650 billion and the rest of it all. It is a normal thing. Zuma (former South African President Jacob Zuma) made such mistakes and a lot of people make such mistakes.

“I don’t know figures. You see, that is how to know original and innocent people. Obaseki (immediate past Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki) will not make such mistake because he has stolen billions before. Asue Ighodalo will not make such mistake because he has stolen billions before.

“Monday Okpebholo is not a thief, so he is not familiar with figures. So, anybody who wants to talk can continue to talk. It is nonsense. He is the governor of the state and he is the governor of the state. And he is performing, he is performing and he will continue to perform and anybody who does not like his face should go to hell and burn to ashes. Period!”

Titled ‘Budget of Renewed Hope for a Rising Edo,’ the Appropriation Bill represents a 25 percent increase compared to the 2024 budget.

During the presentation of the Appropriation Bill, the governor was seen visibly stumbling as he tried to pronounce the N605 billion figure.

Despite the gaffe, he continued with his presentation.

In his speech, Okpebholo stated that 37 percent of the total budget, which equals N223 billion, would be dedicated to recurrent expenditure, while the remaining N381 billion (63 percent) would be allocated for capital projects.

He said, “This budget is a product of extensive consultations and embodies my administration’s commitment to achieving its five-point agenda: security, infrastructural development, healthcare, food sufficiency and education.”

The governor emphasized key initiatives, stating that N162 billion will be allocated for road infrastructure.

This includes the development of the Ramat Park flyover, a significant project aimed at transforming Benin City and upgrading its transportation network.