Reuben Abati has taken a swipe at Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo for his inability to read the sum of the 2025 budget when he presented it to the State House of Assembly early this week.

A video of Okpebholo's difficulty in reading the numerical sum of the budget went viral.

The Appropriation Bill titled “Budget of Renewed Hope for a Rising Edo” is estimated at N605 billion, reflecting a 25 percent increase from the 2024 budget.

The reactions have sparked mixed responses, with some in Okpebholo's defense and others against it. Abati expressed sympathy for the people of Edo on the "What's Trending" segment of the show on Wednesday, December 11.

Using popular social media jargon, he likened the situation to the slang, "What Edo people ordered against what they got," suggesting that citizens voted for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Asue Ighodalo, rather than Governor Okhpebolo.

He stated: "I sympathize with the people of Edo state. The state that produced Professor Ambrose Ali and my former teacher, Professor Osaneme Oshobor, has now produced an individual who struggles to pronounce 650 million or is it a billion? I find it very difficult to understand this argument about his being dyslexic and all of that."

"Well, it has to be medically proven. I think what we are suspecting here is a question of what Edo people ordered and what they were given. They do this thing on social media, what I ordered, what I got. This is the state that has Asue Ighodalo, who has been chairman of a bank, knows about numbers, knows about law, and would have pronounced very well."

In what was supposed to be routine, Governor Okpebholo stuttered as he read the budget. In his first attempt, he said, “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,” he said on his second.

An uproar erupted in the House before the Speaker, Blessing Agbebaku, called for order, saying, “Order the House, please. Mr Speaker must be heard in silence, please.”

Okpebholo concluded, “605 billion and details of the budget proposed… proposal for your consideration and approval. Thank you for your kind consideration.”

The governor disclosed that N223bn, or 37 percent of the total N605bn budget, would be dedicated to recurrent expenditure. The remaining N381bn, which represents 63 per cent, is allocated to capital projects.

“This budget is a product of extensive consultations and embodies my administration’s commitment to achieving its five-point agenda: security, infrastructural development, healthcare, food sufficiency and education.

“We are aware of the critical need to connect communities with motorable roads for rapid economic growth. The construction of the iconic Ramat Park fly-over, the first of its kind in the state, marks a significant step towards transforming Benin City from an ancient city into a modern one,” he stated, among others.

In his remark, the speaker said, “We will collaborate with your Excellency to ensure that the people of Edo enjoy the dividends of democracy.”