In a bizarre incident, Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, struggled to read the state’s 2025 budget figures during a presentation at the Edo State House of Assembly on Tuesday, December 10. The budget blunder of the Edo governor is quickly gaining comments.
The governor’s stuttering over the ₦605 billion budget figure sparked widespread criticism, with many questioning his competence.
The governor, a member of the All Progressives Congress was in November sworn-in after winning the off-cycle Edo gubernatorial election in October.
Now, the Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo State, Jarret Tenebe, has come to the governor’s defense.
Tenebe downplayed the incident, admitting that he also struggles with reading figures.
He even drew parallels with former South African President Jacob Zuma, who had made similar mistakes.
Tenebe’s defense took a curious turn when he implied that Governor Okpebholo’s inability to read figures was a sign of his innocence and lack of corruption.
How You Know Inncent People
“That’s how you know original and innocent people,” Tenebe said. “Governor Okpebholo is not a thief, so he’s not familiar with figures.”
The APC chairman also lashed out at the governor’s critics, suggesting that they were corrupt and had stolen billions.
“Obaseki won’t make such mistakes because he’s stolen billions before,” Tenebe said. “Asue Ighodalo won’t make such mistakes because he’s stolen billions before,” he said in what you could desribe as defamation.
Tenebe’s fiery defense of the Edo governor over his budget blunder has sparked a heated debate. Many are questioning the APC chairman’s logic and the governor’s competence.
Tenebe added: “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”.
