EC Deputy Chair Appointment: Why Afi Agbenyo should resign - Kpebu

Private legal practitioner, Martin Kpebu, has explained why Emelia Afi Agbenyo should resign from the Electoral Commission (EC) during a panel discussion on Joy News.

He argued that her appointment risks deepening concerns about partisanship within the election management body.

Kpebu said also added that he supported the call for Agbenyo to step down, describing the appointment as unacceptable in light of the country’s repeated demands for a more independent commission.

Asked whether he supported the call for her resignation, he replied: “Yes. Yes. Yes, I do.”

He added: “I don’t see how you can run an EC with very partisan people.”

Kpebu rejected the argument that appointments should simply balance the political interests represented on the commission, saying the government could have chosen independent candidates with strong professional records instead.

“At least we all know that balancing it could have also been by appointing very independent people, independent people who have achieved much in life,” he said.

He further argued that appointing people with strong professional standing could help build public confidence in the commission rather than fuel concerns about political influence.