By Terdue Atondu, Makurdi
Former Member of the House of Representatives for Kwande/Ushongo Federal Constituency and ADC senatorial candidate for Benue North-East in the 2027 elections, Hon. Bob Tyough, has called for greater emphasis on continuity and legislative experience in choosing representatives for the National Assembly.
Tyough made the call while addressing members of the Kwande Youth Parliament, where he argued that the frequent replacement of lawmakers after a single term weakens a constituency’s influence and deprives it of the benefits associated with legislative seniority.
According to him, lawmakers who remain in the National Assembly for multiple terms are better positioned to build strategic relationships, gain institutional knowledge and secure influential committee assignments capable of attracting development projects to their constituencies.
“A ranking member will attract more projects, have better committee positions, and carry more weight on the floor,” Tyough told the youths.
He added that constantly changing lawmakers every four years forces a constituency to continually rebuild its influence from scratch.
“If we keep changing members every four years, we keep starting from zero. But if we retain and grow our representation, Kwande/Ushongo will get more federal presence,” he said.
Tyough, who is seeking the senatorial seat for Benue North-East on the platform of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), with the 2027 contest expected to be Kwande’s turn, said his previous experience in the House of Representatives would provide an added advantage if elected to the Senate.
He maintained that experience gained from previous legislative service could be deployed to effectively navigate the National Assembly, influence decisions and advance projects and policies that would benefit the people of the constituency.
The former lawmaker also urged youths and other voters to look beyond political party affiliation when selecting candidates, saying competence, experience, capacity and demonstrable results should form the basis of their choices.
He urged the youths to support representatives capable of converting legislative positions and influence into concrete development for the people.
The Kwande Youth Parliament welcomed the engagement, describing it as an important discussion on the future of political representation in the constituency.
The group expressed readiness to support leaders who, in their assessment, could effectively represent the interests of the people and attract meaningful development.
Tyough’s position centres on the argument that sustained representation enables constituencies to accumulate legislative capital, build seniority and wield greater influence in national decision-making.
He therefore advocated a shift from the culture of one-term representation towards deliberate investment in continuity and experienced lawmakers capable of building long-term political and developmental influence for Kwande/Ushongo.
