The leadership crisis rocking the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) escalated on Friday, as the Bala Audu-led national officers firmly rejected the purported suspension of its president, describing the move as unconstitutional and void.

At a press briefing held at the association’s national headquarters in Abuja, the Secretary-General, Benjamin Egbo, insisted that Bala Audu remains the legitimate head of the association, dismissing the outcome of the April 15 Emergency Delegates Meeting (EDM) that announced his suspension.

Egbo argued that the EDM lacks the constitutional authority to suspend a sitting president, stressing that due process was not followed.

He described the meeting—reportedly convened by Philips Ekpe and Sabo Emmanuel—as illegitimate and an attempt to destabilise the association.

“The NMA remains united under the leadership of Professor Bala Audu. There is no faction,” Egbo said, pushing back against claims of a divided house within the medical body.

He traced the origin of the crisis to the disqualification of six candidates from contesting in the association’s forthcoming national elections.

According to him, the National Officers Committee (NOC) based its decision on incomplete documentation submitted by the affected aspirants—a move that triggered disagreement among some delegates and ultimately led to the controversial EDM.

The Secretary-General also dismissed reports that the NMA national secretariat had been sealed off following the suspension announcement.

He clarified that security operatives only cordoned off the premises in response to credible threats of disruption by suspected thugs.

Egbo accused the organisers of the EDM of spreading misinformation and propaganda, warning that the association would not hesitate to seek legal redress to protect its leadership structure and constitutional order.

Suspension

The meeting, held on Thursday and attended by 63 delegates from 23 state branches and the Federal Capital Territory, announced the suspension and approved the creation of a caretaker committee to manage the association’s affairs until elections are held at the Annual General Meeting scheduled for April 27 to May 3 in Kano.

The crisis originated from the disqualification of six candidates from the upcoming NMA elections by the NOC, which cited incomplete documentation.

However, many delegates opposed this decision, arguing it contradicted established electoral practices. During the EDM, delegates voted to overturn the disqualification and allowed the affected candidates to contest.

In response, the Audu-led NOC rejected both the meeting and its resolutions, describing them as unconstitutional and procedurally flawed.

The association’s leadership insists that due process was not followed in convening the meeting or suspending the president, and therefore, the decisions cannot stand.

The NMA Secretary-General stated that the situation would be reviewed in line with the association’s constitution, with possible disciplinary measures to follow.

He also confirmed that the Annual Delegates Meeting and elections will go on as planned, but the disqualification of one presidential candidate will not be reversed. (Channels News)

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