By Rosemary Nwanpka
ABUJA — The crisis within the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) escalated on Wednesday after delegates at an emergency meeting in Abuja suspended the National Officers’ Committee (NOC), reversed the disqualification of six electoral candidates, and set up a caretaker committee to manage the association’s affairs.
At the Emergency Delegates Meeting (EDM), attended by representatives from 22 state branches and the Federal Capital Territory, participants accused the NOC of constitutional violations and administrative overreach ahead of the forthcoming Annual Delegates Meeting (ADM) scheduled for Kano.
In a communiqué jointly signed by the Chairman of the caretaker committee, Dr. Philips Uche Ekpe, and Secretary, Dr. Sabo Emmanuel, the delegates said their decisions were aimed at restoring “fairness, cohesion and unity” amid mounting tension over the electoral process.
The delegates specifically faulted the disqualification of candidates for the 2026 elections, describing it as controversial and based on administrative conditions not provided for in the association’s 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,” the communiqué stated.
In a decisive move, the delegates passed a vote of no confidence in the NOC, suspending its leadership by 53 votes to two and referring its members to the National Disciplinary Committee for investigation.
They also expressed concern over the absence of NOC members at the meeting despite prior notification, warning that such actions could threaten the stability of the association.
To prevent a leadership vacuum, the meeting constituted a three-man caretaker committee led by Dr. Ekpe, with Dr. Emmanuel as Secretary and Dr. Olawale Oke as member.
The committee is tasked with stabilising the association and overseeing 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.
Earlier, the Committee of Past Presidents of the Nigerian Medical Association had intervened in the dispute, calling for the reinstatement of disqualified candidates.
In a statement signed by Prof. Dominic Osaghae and Prof. Wole Atoyebi, the committee emphasised its constitutional role as the final authority on interpretation matters and recommended that affected candidates be given a one-week window to present evidence of payment of practising fees in line with records of the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria.
The committee further argued that administrative requirements such as multiple passport photographs and curriculum vitae submissions are not constitutional prerequisites for contesting elections.
“Candidates who were disqualified on the basis of non-constitutional administrative requirements should not be penalised,” the committee stated, warning that failure to resolve the dispute could deepen divisions and undermine the credibility of the electoral process.
Delegates, at the close of the meeting, urged members nationwide to remain calm and law-abiding as efforts continue to restore unity within the association.
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