Experience, Competence Matter More Than “New Face”: Why Onyejeocha Should Return To The Reps ~ By Dike Onyeka
As debate continues over whether Barr. Nkeiruka Onyejeocha should return to the House of Representatives, one truth stands clear: in politics, experience, continuity, and track record matter more than rotation.
Those urging Barr. Onyejeocha to jettison her constitutional right to return to the National Assembly fail to understand that seniority in the House directly translates to influence, key committee positions, and projects for the constituency.
For instance, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila represented Surulere I for six terms and rose to become Speaker. He used that position to attract major projects to Lagos.
Similarly, Hon. Alhassan Ado Doguwa spent six terms representing Tudun Wada/Doguwa and became Majority Leader. His longevity gave Kano South a strong voice in budget and appropriation. These lawmakers delivered because they understood the system.
It is therefore curious that some would ask Barr. Onyejeocha to step aside, while the current Senator representing Abia South is warming up for a return after Nineteen years in the Senate. If that is acceptable, then it is only fair for Onyejeocha to seek a return to the House. After all, what is good for the goose is also good for the gander.
For the records, Hon. Onyejeocha’s four terms in the House were impactful. As Chairman of the House Committee on Aviation and later as Minister of State for Labour and Employment, she was never a voice shouted down. To advise her to abandon her ambition in favour of a first-timer with no federal exposure is to sacrifice the constituency’s advantage at the national level.
For Barr. Onyejeocha, it is not just about returning to the House. It is about what she can attract. She already knows the corridors of power — an asset the people of Isuikwuato/Umunneochi Federal Constituency can leverage on.
Beyond that, returning experienced women to parliament strengthens gender representation and mentorship for the next generation. Hon. Patricia Etteh made history as the first female Speaker, proving that women can lead. Hon. Beni Lar served multiple terms representing Langtang and became a strong voice on women and health issues.
More recently, Sen. Ireti Kingibe returned after years away and won the FCT Senate seat at 69. In each case, voters chose competence over “new face.”
We cannot afford to keep starting over with women in politics. If we bench our best, we delay progress for women and girls in Isuikwuato/Umunneochi.
Development, they say, is a marathon, not a sprint. Onyejeocha’s unfinished projects and federal contacts need her to return to complete them.
Beyond zoning, the Isuikwuato/Umunneochi seat should be about capacity. The National Assembly rewards experience. Leaders like Gbajabiamila, Doguwa, and Toby Okechukwu spent quality years in the House and delivered because they understood the system.
Hon. Nkeiruka Onyejeocha has that same experience. With four terms in the House and a stint as Minister, she has the contacts, knowledge, and influence to attract more for our people. To start over now is to waste that institutional advantage.
For our people, the choice is simple: do we connect with the national grid for the development of our constituency, or do we keep counting how many tenures Barr. Onyejeocha has served?
Dike Onyeka writes from Isuikwuato.
