The Chairman of the All-Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo State, Jarrett Tenebe, has come to the defense of Governor Monday Okpebholo after he faced criticism for a slip-up during the presentation of the 2025 Appropriation Bill to the State House of Assembly on Tuesday. A video of the governor’s budget speech, in which he struggled to accurately state the budget's total amount, quickly went viral on social media.

In the video, Okpebholo appeared flustered as he repeatedly tried to correct himself, saying, “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.”

Addressing the controversy, Tenebe dismissed the criticism, calling the governor’s mistake a natural human error. “Social media has been buzzing about the governor’s budget presentation, but mistakes like that happen. Humans make such errors all the time,” he said in a video message shared by Edo Updates on X.com on Wednesday.

Tenebe also defended Okpebholo’s character, suggesting that the incident highlighted the governor’s integrity. He contrasted the current governor with previous leaders in the state, stating, “That is how you know genuine and honest people. Monday is not a thief, so he’s not used to dealing with figures.”

He further urged critics to focus on the governor’s performance rather than his slip of the tongue. “He’s the governor, he’s delivering results, and he will continue to do so. Anyone who doesn’t like him can go to hell and burn to ashes. Period, and thank you,” Tenebe concluded.

On Tuesday, Governor Okpebholo presented a proposed budget of N605 billion for 2025, reflecting a 25 percent increase from the 2024 budget. The Appropriation Bill is titled “Budget of Renewed Hope for a Rising Edo.”