President Tinubu covers up Gaffe’ during 2025 budget presentation

President Bola Tinubu had to quickly recover from a slip of the tongue during his presentation of the 2025 N49.7 trillion budget to the National Assembly on Wednesday.

In an apparent gaffe, the President referred to the 10th National Assembly as the 11th, causing a stir among lawmakers.

“In fulfilment of one of my constitutional duties and unyielding commitment to rebuilding Nigeria towards ensuring that we remain steadfast on the journey to a prosperous future, I hereby present the 2025 budget to the joint session of the 11th National Assembly,” he stated.

The remark triggered laughter from lawmakers, with several attempting to correct him, pointing out that it was the 10th Assembly, not the 11th.

Not missing a beat, President Tinubu responded with a playful “10?” before acknowledging the correction.

He then added, “I wrote 11, which means you are all re-elected,” sparking a louder round of applause from members across all political parties.

The President’s speech highlighted key allocations in the 2025 budget:

• Defence and Security: N4.91 trillion
• Infrastructure: N4.06 trillion
• Health: N2.48 trillion
• Education: N3.52 trillion
• Debt Servicing: N15.81 trillion

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Dubbed the ‘Budget of Restoration,’ the 2025 budget aims to address inflation, the forex crisis, and job creation.

President Tinubu emphasized that the budget is designed to restore macroeconomic stability, improve the business environment, foster inclusive growth, reduce poverty, and promote human capital development.

The budget also forecasts a crude oil production target of 2.06 million barrels per day for 2025.

Additionally, the President projected a decrease in the importation of finished petroleum products and an increase in the exportation of refined petroleum products in the coming year.