If It Ain’t Broken, Don’t Change It: The Power of Continuity in Representative Democracy

By Larry Oyims

Some commentators have written extensively, though sentimentally, about rotation in the Afikpo North/Afikpo South Federal Constituency. I understand their arguments. But one salient fact they keep ignoring is the power of experience, the power of continuity when a legislator is doing well.

There are several examples to draw from. In Britain, Sir Edward Leigh has served as MP for Gainsborough since 1983 — an impressive 43 years of unbroken service in the House of Commons. His constituents keep re-electing him not because they dont believe in rotation but because they value performance over noise. His deep experience has delivered- and keep delivering-real development and progress to the constituency. The Conservative lawmaker is today honoured as the “Father of the House” for his contributions to building a stronger Britain and a better and more progressive constituency.

Coming closer home, Hon. Nicholas Mutu Ebomo, known as the “Landlord of the Green Chamber,” has represented the Bomadi/Patani Federal Constituency in Delta State continuously since 1999. That is 27 solid years — seven full terms and still counting.

What do these two lawmakers have in common? They consistently place the interests of their constituents above personal desire. The visible developments they have attracted have reinforced the value of continuity in representative democracy.

Rt. Hon. Iduma Enwo Igariwey perfectly fits this league. In his 11 years in the House of Representatives, he has delivered road projects to nearly every community in his constituency — some benefiting from two or three roads. He has facilitated federal employment for over 100 constituents, built and renovated schools, installed functional motorized boreholes and street lights and empowered many people to start businesses and trades. If not because of his policy of keeping personal matters like this discreet, I would have listed names of the beneficiaries here. If you change him, what will happen to the numerous projects he has attracted but which money is yet to be released for execution? What will happen to the various ongoing projects in Edda and Afikpo? What about the many constituency projects he has lined up in the 2026 federal budget for his constituency ? What will happen to the Amorie-Beach and the Amikpo-Beach roads in Ozizza? What about the roads in Amangwu, Ebunwana, Amasiri and Akpoha that are there too? We should think deeply.

However, the voters in Gainsborough and Bomadi/Patani know one thing: the values of experience when it comes to choosing who represents them. They don’t talk about rotation because they know what they will lose when a greenhorn is given their mandate. They dont say “it’s our turn”, they look at what is on the table. And Idu’s hands are filled with quivers of them.

That is why we still insist on the popular saying, “if it ain’t broken, don’t change it”!