The leadership crisis within the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) intensified on Friday as the Bala Audu-led national officers rejected the reported suspension of the association’s president, declaring the move unconstitutional and without effect.
At a press briefing held at the NMA national headquarters in Abuja, Secretary-General Benjamin Egbo maintained that Bala Audu remains the legitimate leader of the association, dismissing the outcome of the April 15 Emergency Delegates Meeting (EDM) which announced his suspension.
Egbo argued that the EDM lacked the constitutional backing to remove a sitting president, stressing that due process was not followed.
He described the meeting allegedly convened by Philips Ekpe and Sabo Emmanuel—as illegitimate and aimed at destabilising the association.
“The NMA remains united under the leadership of Professor Bala Audu. There is no faction,” Egbo said, rejecting claims of division within the body.
He traced the roots of the crisis to the disqualification of six aspirants from contesting in the forthcoming national elections.
According to him, the National Officers Committee (NOC) based its decision on incomplete documentation submitted by the candidates, a move that triggered disagreements among some delegates and culminated in the controversial meeting.
The Secretary-General also refuted reports that the NMA secretariat had been sealed following the suspension announcement.
He explained that security personnel only restricted access to the premises in response to credible threats of disruption by suspected thugs.
Egbo accused the organisers of the EDM of spreading misinformation and warned that the association may pursue legal action to safeguard its constitutional structure and leadership.
The Emergency Delegates Meeting, attended by 63 delegates from 23 state branches and the Federal Capital Territory, had announced the suspension of the Audu-led leadership and approved the establishment of a caretaker committee to oversee the association’s affairs.
The committee is expected to function until new officers are elected at the Annual General Meeting scheduled to hold from April 27 to May 3 in Kano.
The dispute stems from the earlier disqualification of six candidates by the NOC over incomplete documentation, a decision many delegates opposed, arguing it contradicted established electoral practices.
During the meeting, delegates voted to overturn the disqualification and allow the affected aspirants to participate in the elections.
However, the Audu-led leadership has rejected both the meeting and its resolutions, insisting they are procedurally flawed and inconsistent with the association’s constitution.
The NMA leadership reiterated that due process was not followed in convening the meeting or announcing the suspension, insisting that the decisions cannot stand.
Egbo added that the situation would be reviewed in accordance with the association’s constitution, with possible disciplinary measures against those involved.
He also confirmed that the Annual Delegates Meeting and elections would proceed as scheduled, although the disqualification of one presidential candidate would remain in place.
