Why Edo Gov Okpebholo struggles with figures – APC chair

Why Edo Gov Okpebholo struggles with figures – APC chair

Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for Edo State, Jarrett Tenebe, has defended the state governor, Monday Okpebholo, for his stuttering while reading figures from 2025 budget proposal before lawmakers on Tuesday.

The governor had said the N605 billion appropriation bill represented a 25 per cent increase over the 2024 budget.

He however struggled in his attempt to give the exact figures.

“The Edo State Appropriation Bill of six billion… 605 billion… 76 million…” Okpebholo began, his hands unsteady and voice quivering in the rarefied assembly.

“Let me take it again. 506 billion… 605 billion… sorry… 776 billion… sorry, it’s confusing me.”

Okpebholo’s admission elicited laughter and murmurs in equal doses from the lawmakers.

Defending the action, Tenebe said Okpebholo struggled with figures because he does not know how to steal public funds.

In a video, the state’s APC chair said unlike a handful of politicians from Edo, Okpebholo is no kleptomaniac.

“The social media has been agog with the governor’s budget presentation about mistake on N605 billion and the rest of it all,” Tenebe said.

“It’s a normal thing. People make such mistakes. I don’t know figures… and that’s how to know original and innocent people.

“Monday Okpebholo is not a thief and he is not familiar with figures. Anybody who wants to talk and continue to talk is nonsense.

“He is the governor of the state, he is performing and he’ll continue to perform and anybody who does not like his face should go to hell and burn to ashes. Period!”