The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has been thrown into turmoil following the suspension of its National President, Bala Audu, by delegates at an Emergency Delegates Meeting held in Abuja on Wednesday.
PrimeTimes Nigeria reports that the meeting, which had 63 delegates in attendance from 23 state branches and the Federal Capital Territory, also approved the constitution of a caretaker committee to oversee the association’s affairs pending fresh elections.
The elections are scheduled to take place during the Annual General Meeting billed for Kano between April 27 and May 3.
At the heart of the crisis is a growing disagreement over the disqualification of six candidates from contesting in the forthcoming national elections.
The National Officers Committee, led by Audu, had disqualified the candidates on the grounds of incomplete documentation.
However, several delegates at the emergency meeting faulted the decision, arguing that it was inconsistent with established electoral practices within the association.
Following deliberations, the delegates voted to overturn the disqualification, thereby clearing the affected candidates to participate in the elections.
The meeting went further to suspend Audu, citing alleged violations of the association’s constitution.
In a swift reaction, the Audu-led National Officers Committee rejected both the suspension and the resolutions reached at the emergency meeting.
The committee described the process as “unconstitutional and procedurally flawed,” insisting that due process was not followed in convening the meeting.
The development has effectively split the association into opposing camps, deepening an already tense leadership dispute.
Reacting to the development, the Secretary-General of the NMA, Dr Ben Egbo, maintained that the resolutions from the emergency meeting would be reviewed in line with the association’s constitution.
He said appropriate disciplinary measures would be taken where necessary.
Egbo also confirmed that the Annual Delegates Meeting would proceed as scheduled next week, alongside the planned elections.
He added that the disqualification of one presidential candidate had been reviewed and upheld, stressing that “there would be no reversal of that decision.”
The association’s leadership further dismissed the caretaker committee set up by the delegates, insisting that such an arrangement cannot stand outside constitutionally recognised procedures.
According to the leadership, only actions taken in strict adherence to the association’s constitution would be considered valid.
With both factions holding firm to their positions, concerns are mounting over the credibility and smooth conduct of the forthcoming elections in Kano.