The chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo State, Jarrett Tenebe, has defended Governor Monday Okpebholo following public criticism of his stuttering presentation of the 2025 budget estimates before the State House of Assembly.

During Tuesday’s session, Okpebholo faltered while reading the N605 billion appropriation bill, which he described as a 25 percent increase from the 2024 budget. The governor’s repeated corrections, including statements such as “six billion… 605 billion… sorry, 776 billion,” sparked laughter and murmurs among lawmakers.

Addressing the backlash, Tenebe dismissed the criticism as baseless, attributing the governor’s struggle with figures to his honesty and inexperience with manipulating public funds.

“Humans make such mistakes. The governor’s slip-up shows he is genuine and innocent,” Tenebe said in a video shared on Wednesday. “Monday is not a thief, so he’s not familiar with figures.”

Tenebe urged critics to focus on Okpebholo’s performance rather than the incident, emphasizing the governor’s ongoing achievements. He concluded sharply: “He’s performing and will continue to perform. If you don’t like his face, go to hell and burn to ashes.”

The proposed budget, titled “Budget of Renewed Hope for a Rising Edo,” aims to build on the state’s progress with a 25 percent increase in spending.