By Tosan Edemetie
Aghogho Edevbie, a Nigerian-American Attorney and Voting Rights activist, stepped in as Michigan’s Deputy Secretary of State on March 6, 2022.
Aghogho Edevbie, who is the son of Prof. Andrew Edevbie, a US-based Nigerian academic, historian, and Secretary of the prestigious Urhobo Historical Society (UHS), will direct the formulation and execution of the administration’s election policy, which includes outreach and education through engagement with state and local elected officials, as Deputy Secretary of State.
Jocelyn Benson, Secretary of State, had announced late February that Aghogho Edevbie, who is also a cousin of the former Principal Secretary to late President Musa Yar’Adua and 2023 Governorship aspirant of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP0, Olorogun David Edevbie, will be joining her administration March 6 as Deputy Secretary of State.
“Aghogho is deeply committed to ensuring every voice is heard and every vote is counted and has a wealth of experience working to ensure our elections continue to be free, fair, secure, and accurate,” said Secretary Benson. “He will be an invaluable addition to my administration as we implement the new voting rights enshrined in our state Constitution, enact policies that build on the strengths of our elections system, and prepare for and carry out the 2024 election cycle,” Jocelyn Benson said.
Reacting to his appointment, Edevbie, a graduate of the Law School of the University of Michigan, said, “I am deeply honored to join Secretary Benson and her team supporting Michigan voters and election workers. Our democracy remains strong in Michigan and by working together to make nonpartisan improvements we can ensure democracy prevails for many years to come.”
Aghogho Edewbie, who is of Urhobo heritage, contested for a seat in the Michigan House of Representatives from September 2017 to August 2018, is reputed for his decade-long role in protecting voters through his advocacy for ballot drop boxes, early voting, and protections for election workers. In the previous three years, he worked for the nonpartisan voting rights nonprofit, All Voting is Local, as Michigan State Director.
