Edo State Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Jarret Tenebe, has defended Governor Monday Okpebholo after his struggles to read the state’s 2025 budget figures on Monday sparked widespread criticism.
POLITICS NIGERIA reports that a viral video showed the governor stuttering over the N605 billion budget figure during a presentation at the Edo State House of Assembly on Tuesday, December 10.
The governor, a member of the All Progressives Congress was in November sworn-in after winning the off-cycle Edo gubernatorial election in October.
Tenebe has downplayed the incident, saying he also struggles with reading figures. He noted that former South African President Jacob Zuma had made similar mistakes.
“I don’t know figures,” Tenebe admitted. “That’s how you know original and innocent people. Governor Okpebholo is not a thief, so he’s not familiar with figures.”
Tenebe took a swipe at Okpebholo’s critics, implying they were corrupt. “Obaseki won’t make such mistakes because he’s stolen billions before. Asue Ighodalo won’t make such mistakes because he’s stolen billions before,” he said.
Ighodalo competed against Okpebholo under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
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. Period!”
