NMA chaos: Delegates suspend NOC, reinstate disqualified candidates

By Chioma Obinna

The crisis rocking the Nigerian Medical Association, NMA, at the national level escalated on Thursday as delegates at an Emergency Delegates Meeting, EDM, in Abuja voted to suspend the National Officers’ Committee, NOC, reverse the disqualification of six electoral candidates, and install a caretaker committee to steer the affairs of the association.

The meeting, held at Park View Hotel, Wuse, Abuja, had representatives from 22 state branches and the Federal Capital Territory, who accused the NOC of constitutional breaches and administrative overreach ahead of the forthcoming Annual Delegates Meeting (ADM) scheduled for Kano.

In a communiqué jointly signed by the Caretaker Committee Chairman, Dr. Philips Uche Ekpe, and Secretary, Dr. Sabo Emmanuel, the delegates said the decisions were taken to “restore fairness, cohesion and unity” amid rising tension over the electoral process.

According to the communiqué, the disqualification of candidates for the 2026 elections generated widespread controversy and avoidable tension, and was based on “administrative requirements not expressly provided for in the Constitution.”

“The Meeting voted via secret ballot to reverse the disqualification of all affected candidates and directed that all duly nominated candidates be reinstated and allowed to contest in the forthcoming ADM elections in Kano,” it stated.

The delegates subsequently passed a unanimous vote of no confidence in the NOC and suspended its leadership by 53 votes to two.

“Consequently, the EDM voted in favour of the suspension of the National Officers’ Committee with immediate effect and referred all members to the National Disciplinary Committee for investigation and fair hearing,” the communiqué added.

The meeting also expressed concern over the absence of NOC members despite proper notification and confirmation of quorum, describing the development as a threat to institutional stability.

To prevent a leadership vacuum, a three-man caretaker committee was constituted, chaired by Dr. Ekpe Philips Uche, with Dr. Sabo Emmanuel as Secretary and Dr. Olawale Oke as member.

The committee is mandated to ensure continuity, stabilise the association, and oversee preparations for the Kano ADM.

“The Caretaker Committee shall operate strictly within constitutional provisions, engage stakeholders, and ensure the successful conduct of the forthcoming ADM,” the delegates resolved.

Meanwhile, the Committee of Past Presidents (CPP) of the NMA had earlier waded into the controversy, urging a reversal of the disqualification of affected candidates.

In a statement jointly signed by Prof. Dominic Osaghae and Prof. Wole Atoyebi, and issued after its April 17 meeting, the committee reaffirmed its constitutional role as the final arbiter in matters of interpretation.

The CPP recommended that the NOC should grant all disqualified candidates a one-week window before the ADM to present evidence of payment of practising fees, in line with MDCN records, and allow all qualified candidates to participate in the election.

It further argued that administrative requirements such as submission of multiple passport photographs and CV copies are not constitutional prerequisites for contesting elections.

“Candidates who were disqualified on the basis of non-constitutional administrative requirements should not be penalised,” the CPP stated, adding that such requirements must be formally incorporated into the constitution if they are to be enforced in future.

The committee warned that failure to address the dispute could further deepen divisions within the association and undermine the credibility of the electoral process.

Rising from the emergency meeting, delegates called on members nationwide to remain calm, law-abiding, and committed to restoring unity, even as the association grapples with one of its most severe internal crises in recent years.